YEREVAN. – The rallies and demonstrations in Azerbaijan come to prove yet again that any dissent in the country is suppressed, international law expert, Azerbaijani Studies specialist Sargis Asatryan told Armenian News-NEWS.am.   

“When this refers to civil society, rallies and demonstrations, it should be noted that all this is at a very low level in the neighboring country. The [Azerbaijani] authorities’ approach toward such matters likewise shows that Azerbaijan is still very far from democracy,” the analyst noted.  

In Asatryan’s view, if nothing changes in Azerbaijan, it will turn into a sultanate, or a khanate, with one king.

As for Azerbaijan’s presidential election slated for October, the Azerbaijani Studies specialist informed that he does not yet see any force that could compete against the country’s ruling regime and president Ilham Aliyev.     

“Even though there are a variety of opposition parties in the country, no political force can offset Ilham Aliyev,” Sargis Asatryan noted.