The Washington Post Concerned About Threats Against Aylisli

THE WASHINGTON POST CONCERNED ABOUT THREATS AGAINST AYLISLI

13:40, 13 February, 2013

YEREVAN, FBRUARY 13, ARMENPRESS. The Washington post touched upon the
statement by a pro-government political party that it will pay $12,700
to anyone who cuts off the ear of a 75-year-old novelist. The author
is Akram Aylisli, and his crime is to have written a novella called
“Stone Dreams” that recounts Azeri atrocities against the Armenians
20 years ago.

As reports “Armenpress” The Washington Post reminds that Azerbaijani
President Ilham Aliyev has already stripped Aylisli of his title of
“People’s Writer” and the pension that goes with it. Aylisli’s son
was fired from his job and parliament has demanded that Aylisli
submit to a DNA test to prove he’s Azerbaijani. Over the weekend,
book burnings were staged around the country.

But on Monday the head of the Modern Musavat party, Hafiz Hajiyev,
told the Turan Information Agency that the time has come for Aylisli
to be punished for portraying Azerbaijanis as savages. “We have to
cut off his ear,” Hajiyev said. “This decision is to be executed by
members of the youth branch of the party.”

Watchdog groups, including Human Rights Watch and the Institute for
Reporters’ Freedom and Safety, denounced the threat. “I can’t believe
he’s a man or human being,” Leyla Yunus, head of the Baku-based
Institute of Peace and Democracy, said of Hajiyev. The Washington
Post states: “The Interior Ministry pointed out that cutting off an
ear is a crime and said it would investigate. But the government is
making efforts to distract public opinion.”