Yeni Musavat, Azerbaijan
Oct 17 2013
Scary message from Russia: Retreating may cost Azerbaijan its independence
by Elcin Xalidbayli
The dust flies everywhere. A merciless battle is under way for the
South Caucasus. It is the major powers that are vying for control over
the region. However, it is small regional countries that suffer the
blows because the major powers are not fighting directly, but through
proxies. This is a new and seemingly the decisive stage. The winner
will breathe more easily in the South Caucasus.
Each super power has its own way of fighting. When the USA and West
oppose somebody they resort to political factors to exploit the small
countries. Russia is more brutal and there are no game rules for the
Kremlin. It is ready to ride roughshod over anyone and anybody who
obstructs the way to its objectives.
We saw this clearly in the latest events in Moscow. Of course, we do
not have the intention of defending somebody who was marred by a
crime. Those who commit crimes must be punished.
However, the developments are so ruthless and scary that there is need
to question the link between the event and what is happening. The way
the event was presented to Russia and the CIS make it plausible that
the event was orchestrated in advance.
Unusual aspects
First, there is as yet no evidence to prove that the Azerbaijani who
is said to be guilty committed the crime [referring to Azerbaijani
national Orxan Zeynalov, who is charged with killing Muscovite Yegor
Shcherbakov in a Moscow suburb]. There is after all the notion known
as the “presumption of innocence”. It is unacceptable to denounce
anybody as a criminal before proving their guilt and before a court
ruling. By not reacting to this matter the Russian and Azerbaijani
law-enforcement bodies “failed the class”.
Second, a great wave of fear has been directed at this man. It is said
that he has admitted his guilt. It is possible that in the face of
such pressure any person would admit to committing the crime. In
addition, it is also said that he was beaten and tortured. Even some
Russian mass media began to write about this.
Finally, the exaggeration of a crime that undoubtedly had mundane
reasons to the level of inciting ethnic hatred is also a questionable
aspect. Hundreds of similar crimes occur in Russia every day. However,
there is no such strange response to any of them. Nor is the Russian
interior minister personally questioning the culprits of hundreds of
such crimes. That this case is an exception signals of a planned
process.
Otherwise, this would not be so blown out and “angry skinheads” would
not storm the market where Azerbaijanis work. Because everybody knows
that the “skinheads” only get “angry” when the Kremlin wants them to.
This means that the Kremlin has planned to shift the blame for this
event on the Azerbaijani, to “make skinheads angry” to create ethnic
strife and send a message to Azerbaijan.
Kremlin’s messages
The Kremlin has already sent similar messages. For Armenia’s daring to
glance towards Europe, Russia brought an Armenian criminal to the
courtroom in a female robe. This was a warning message for Armenia.
The Kremlin wanted to say that Armenia is its property. Yerevan cannot
look anywhere but at Russia unless the Kremlin wants it to do
otherwise. As a result, Armenia has already officially announced its
membership in the Customs Union.
And now they are messaging Azerbaijan. They wish to say that
Azerbaijan too must come into the Customs Union and Eurasian Union.
Otherwise, the “anger of skinheads” against the Azerbaijanis, whom the
Kremlin has turned into hostages in Russia, will not subside. A mass
outflow of Azerbaijan fearing for their lives can create a political
and economic crisis in Azerbaijan.
This is a true blackmail message. But turning back can turn into a
tragedy for Azerbaijan because the Kremlin is targeting Azerbaijan’s
independence. Hence, much now depends on Baku’s means for resistance.
[Translated from Azeri]