Aslan Ismailov: Slogan ''the best Armenian is the dead Armenian'' will be used during election campaign in Azerbaijan
In the early 1990s, the Azerbaijani nationalists, who led to the separation of Karabakh from Azerbaijan, are armed with the slogan "Death to Armenians", "the best Armenians is the dead Armenian." And today these slogans will be again used during the election campaign in Azerbaijan, writes the Azerbaijani lawyer Aslan Ismailov, whose article was published by "Haqqinew.az" portal.
The author notes that recently, he had a brief conversation with a fellow about the last interview on the air of “Meydan TV” of Rustam Ibragimbekov, the single candidate from the opposition party. Ismailov’s interlocutor sharply said, "Well, you see his love for the Armenians?" Then our conversation was over.
"I remembered the slogans of "nationalists" of the early 90's, who moved away Karabakh from us step-by-step. Slogans were like "Death to Armenians," "the best Armenian is the dead Armenian," etc." Ismailov writes.
According to the Azerbaijani lawyer it was due to these slogans of Azerbaijani nationalist that the Armenian side created the image of "brutal Azerbaijanis".
"Lately, these kinds of slogans have died down, but I'm sure that before the elections similar slogans will again be used in campaign speeches. In the 90's I was against such a claims as well, for what I was blamed in the pro-Armenian frame of mind," Ismailov said.
The lawyer said that during the foreign visits when he was raising the Nagorno-Karabakh issue, he repeatedly was receiving the following answer: "The rights of people are grossly violated in your country. How can you ensure the protection of the rights of the Armenians, if everyone knows what slogans are popular in Azerbaijan?"
According to Ismailov representatives of the Armenian side also claim, "Look at them, they violate their rights, and if we are in their lineup, they'll hang us all."
"And then they quickly remember the show around Ramil Safarov. No matter how much I tried to refute their words, I realized that this was not enough. Yes, at some stage the history of nationalism was fruitful. Today, in the age of globalization, human rights are in the foreground," A. Ismailov said.
For the solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh problem, we, first of all, have to prove to the world that human rights are protected in Azerbaijan, property rights are enforced, and that the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh can live peacefully in Azerbaijan.
"In Azerbaijan it is on the contrary. Young people wishing to live in a country where there is no corruption, sit in prisons; and Zulfugarli brothers who demand restoration of their rights are in exile. Today, all the leading NGOs and the world's media write that Azerbaijan is the first in the world in corruption and abuse of human rights," sums up the Azeri lawyer.
The current stage of the Karabakh conflict began in 1988, when the parliament of Autonomous Oblast of Nagorno-Karabakh asked the authorities of the Soviet Union, Armenia and Azerbaijan SSR to pass the region to Armenia.
Azerbaijan responded to the request with protests against the civilians of Armenian nationality. After the collapse of the Soviet Union a full-scale war began. Azerbaijan had an overwhelming advantage in quantity, in weapons and resources and hoped for a quick victory. However, during the brutal war Azeri troops were defeated, losing about 30,000 soldiers and a number of previously controlled areas.
On 12 May 1994, after the ceasefire agreement the hostilities in the conflict zone were ceased. The agreement on cease-fire regime is observed so far. Since 1992 to the present day negotiations with the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs United States, Russia and France, are being held for reaching a peaceful settlement of the conflict.