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“Armenian theme” for the Azerbaijani government is zero-risk bond if it wants to divert public’s attention from really serious problems, stated in an interview Analitika.at.ua expert on geopolitics of the South Caucasus, candidate of political sciences Angela Elibegova, commenting on the situation with persecution of Ekrem Eylisli, the author of the book "Stone Dreams" which is about massacres of Armenians.

“If you pay attention, the novel that was published in December’s issue of the magazine “Friendship of Peoples”, with the filing of the ruling party caused wide public resonance in Azerbaijan, just as soon as the situation in the country exacerbated because of the unrest in the Ismailli district, and then a chained reaction began. Who in Azerbaijan speaks of “Gyulyargeyt”, Ismayilli, a disproportionate number of deaths in the army, and other acute problems that a couple of weeks ago concerned the public!

This story, of course, has another side as well, which is presenting “National leader” Heydar Aliyev in unflattering light and indirect accusation of organizing the Armenian massacres. In the Azerbaijani press they openly speak about the fact that the ruling clan didn’t forgive this impertinent deed committed by the popular writer and winner of various state awards. The representatives of Nakhichevan clan in the ruling elite surely resented more, because the historical events connected with the massacres of Armenians in Agulis, that took place in 1919, are, first of all a problem for them.

For decades, the government of Azerbaijan destroyed every trace of presence of Armenians in Nakhichevan systematically. Today, critics of Eylisli have practically trapped themselves. Those who accuse the author of violating the parity in the novel, saying he describes only the atrocities of the Turks against the Armenians in Nakhichevan thereby recognize the fact of the massacre. Those who try to deny the historical facts in the book, refer to sources which say that in the village the Armenians and the Turks lived in peace for centuries, thus contradicting the official position of the Azerbaijani propaganda about fact that the Armenians were resettled in the region only after the Turkmenchay treaty.

And of course special attention should be paid at the comments about 12 Armenian churches in Agulis. Part of the active critics denies their existence, supporting their position by saying that there is no need to build so many churches in one village. Though we all know that earlier Agulis was a big city. Another part still recognizes their existence, however argues that the church were not Armenian but Albanian. A question arises with the Armenian historians and ethnologists who repeatedly ask Azerbaijan, “Why in that case Azerbaijanis destroyed 12 churches of Agulis, if they consider themselves the descendants and successors of Caucasian Albania and thus the bearers of that culture?” The answer, I think, is obvious...

However, Azerbaijan found an original version for this disposition as well; These “Albanian” churches have been destroyed by the Azerbaijanis in order to prevent anyone of thinking that they are Armenian ones. This comment, in the context of the novel, perfectly fits the current situation where they organize demonstrative “funerals” of the book in a coffin, deprive Eylisli all ranks, publicly burn his works in fire, call on cutting off his ear and deport from the country,” the expert notes.

Ekrem Eylisli is national writer (since 1998) and Honored Artist of Azerbaijan, holder of the highest order of Azerbaijan “Istiglal” (2002) and the order of “Shokhrat” for his outstanding merits in the literature of Azerbaijan. Recently, on the website of Russian magazine “Friendship of Nations” was published his novel titled “Stone Dreams” in which the author describes the massacres of Armenians in Baku in 1990 and in Nakhichevan in 1919. The author in his novel speaks positively about the Armenian people and their culture. The novel “Stone Dreams” also contains criticism over the former Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev and the tyranny of his system.

After the publication of the novel, Eylisli was exposed to severe pressures in Azerbaijan; the pro-governmental youth held rally next his home, his issue was discussed in the parliament of Azerbaijan, MPs suggested to burn his books and to deprive him of citizenship and deport from Azerbaijan. Many people “blamed” Eylisli in his Armenian origin, etc. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has deprived him of personal pension and the title of National Writer, and accused him of “purposefully distorting the history of Azerbaijan” and “in distorting realities about history of Azerbaijan in an inappropriate way.”

The leader of the pro-governmental party”Modern Musavat” Hafis Hajiyev announced that he would pay about 10 euros to the one who will cut the ear of the writer. Only after the intervention of the media, the politician was “warned” by the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan about the illegality of such appeals.

The U.S. Department of State and the OSCE Office in Baku condemned persecution of Aylisli in Azerbaijan and called on the authorities to fulfill their obligations.