By Asbarez | Friday, 20 March 2015
Azeri President Ilham Aliyev speaks at a ceremony celebrating the Persian New Year, Nowruz.
The Azerbaijani President made his remarks while speaking at a celebration of the Persian New Year, Nowruz, Azeri news agency Trend reports.
“Our independent politics is by no means appealing to everyone, which is why the pressure on us is growing,” Aliyev said. “Today some foreign circles pursue an open campaign against Azerbaijan. We are ready for it. In fact, this campaign hasn’t ever stopped. The thing is that on the eve of major international events, the campaign gains uglier shapes. We faced it three years ago — in 2012 — on the eve of Eurovision Song Contest. We see it today as well, ahead of the First European Games.”
Aliyev continued by attempting to rebuff accusations of human rights violations in Azerbaijan, which have increased with a worsening crackdown on civil society and political dissenters by Aliyev’s government.
Aliyev insisted that “free society” and free press exist in Azerbaijan.
“In other places, people are being smothered, shot dead and killed. And nobody is charged. Where are the NGOs that accuse us? Why are they silent? Why don’t they raise a voice?” Aliyev said, trying to point the finger away from his government.
According to the authoritarian president, “international law doesn’t work in the modern world, international agreements are just a scrap of paper without any value.”
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