By Ivan Gharibyan

On December 17, the PACE Monitoring Group is to consider the issues of democratic rights and freedoms in Azerbaijan. However, by tradition, the planned discussion will most likely turn into a show, as, during the whole modern period of history, economic interests have not allowed European agencies to make unbiased appraisals of the situation in Azerbaijan.

The Azerbaijani authorities’ self-confidence resulted in cynicism in the form of publicly announced discussions of Azerbaijan’s issue by the PACE Monitoring Commission, with announcements made, of course, by the mass media under the Aliyev clan’s control.

The information policy of the Baku TV and radio channels makes the impression that Azerbaijan is one of the exemplary PACE member-states and is now expecting a regular examination with pride and thrill of joy, to show its progress in protecting human rights and freedoms.

Indeed, President Ilham Aliyev and his clique have something to be proud of. None of the TV or radio channels in Azerbaijan is free of praising the “national leader” Heydar Aliyev and his son Ilham day and night! To be more convincing, the National TV sand Radio Council of Azerbaijan recently prohibited such world famous media outlets as BBC, Radio Liberty and Voice of America from broadcasting in Azerbaijan thereby depriving them of their audience in the country.

Noteworthy is also the Aliyev clan’s progress in struggling against the Opposition. Of course, the opposition political forces in Azerbaijan are mostly national fascist ones, and it would not be a bad thing if they did not exist at all. It should be admitted, however, that they have found themselves under too strong pressure: the Azerbaijani Opposition does not even dream of holding rallies in the center of Baku. With the steadily growing number of imprisoned opposition journalists considered, Azerbaijan can with confidence pose a beacon of democracy and human rights protection among the PACE member-states.

The Azeri authorities have nothing to be concerned over as long as they have dwindling oil reserves, which make the West turn a blind eye to the building of an authoritarian state in the South Caucasus. Of course, it is not going to last for ever, but Ilham Aliyev has time to build up democracy as he sees it.

T.P.