Persecution over Akram Aylisli in Azerbaijan brought international condemnation

Azeri writer Akram Aylisli who is hounded for his 'pro-Armenian' book Stone Dreams telling the truth about the massacres of Armenians in Azerbaijan, brought about international condemnation, the article of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reads.

His books have been publicly burnt. He has been stripped of his national literary awards. And a high-ranking Azeri politician has offered $13,000 (£8,400) as a bounty for anyone who will cut off his ear. But 75-year-old Akram Aylisli, one of Azerbaijan's most eminent authors, does not regret having written his short novel Stone Dreams. The book has shocked many Azeris. But could it also prove the first tentative step towards peace with the country's longstanding enemy Armenia?

However, according to BBC, even some of the book's critics, such as Azeri opposition activist Murad Gassanly, condemn the persecution of its author.

"With the exception of ultra-liberal circles, very few people actually liked the book or its message. However, the book burnings, street protests and calls for violence against the author were orchestrated primarily by pro-government circles. There is no freedom of assembly in Azerbaijan - it is impossible to gather and collectively read books, let alone burn them! The fact that these protests were allowed, protected by police and then shown on national state TV suggests that they were orchestrated from the top,” he explained.

BBC notes that President Ilham Aliyev himself signed the decree stripping Aylisli of his national awards and monthly literary stipend. Ruling party parliamentarians demanded he leave the country or that his DNA be tested to see if he was really Azeri, and not in fact Armenian. And high-ranking government officials called him a traitor, saying "public hatred" was the correct response. Aylisli's wife and son both lost their jobs in state-controlled institutions.