A 2009 U.S. embassy political dispatch compared Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to a mafia crime boss. An apt comparison given that Aliyev and the Azeri political elite have been living under the protection of the Capo Crimini – Israel . The protection does not come cheap; and the manufacture of the recent lie -- the arrest of 22 Azerbaijani citizens allegedly "trained in Iran ” to carry out terrorist acts against the U.S. and Israel , is the latest protection payment.
Capo Crimini’s protection is noteworthy. Aliyev, a corrupt dictator who came to power through election fraud in 2003, managed to make his rounds in Washington in 2006, including a private meeting with President Bush, thanks to the full weight of the Israeli lobby in Washington . The promotion of the Azeri cause in Washington by the Israeli lobby (which included lobbying against Armenians), reinforced the notion that "the way to Washington leads through Jerusalem ”1 while benefitting various players - to the detriment of some others.
The Association of Local Democracy Agencies, with the support of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, intends to enlarge its activities to promote local democracy and citizen participation at the local level in the South Caucasus by opening a Local Democracy Agency (LDA) in Azerbaijan in 2012.
In 2006 LDA Georgia opened as the first LDA in South Caucasus in Kutaisi. The LDA network in South Caucasus was enlarged when LDA Armenia opened in Gyumri in 2011. ALDA is now starting its work to complete the LDA network in South Caucasus by taking the initial steps towards opening an LDA in Azerbaijan.
Therefore ALDA is looking for European Local and Regional Authorities and NGOs which are interested in becoming partners of the LDA and support the efforts of opening the LDA in Azerbaijan.
The court bailiffs of the Yasamal district have taken up a 3-year-old sentence on forfeiture against the head of Talysh Cultural Center and the newspaper Tolyshi Sado Novruzali Mamedov, who died in prison two years ago.
Mamedov was found guilty of collaboration with the Iranian intelligence and convicted to 10 years of imprisonment. The court also decided to confiscate the man’s property allegedly purchased by the Iranian side.
As head of the committee for Mammadov’s rights and the current editor of Tolyshi Sado Hilal Mamedov told Turan, the property includes a table, 5 chairs, a carpet and a TV set.
Professor
Kaveh Farrokh from Canada participated in the 2nd International
Conference on Talishi Studies, which was organized by the International
Journal "Iran and the Caucasus” in cooperation with Modus Vivendi
Center, Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies, International Society for
the Study of Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus and ARMACAD.
Professor spoke about the process of the De-Iranianization of Caucasian Azerbaijan (1828-Present).
Please tell us about the problems, which currently Talishis have, about the pressures which they face?
The Conference is organized by the International Journal "Iran and the
Caucasus” (BRILL, Leiden-Boston) in the Framework of the Celebration of
its 15-th Anniversary, in cooperation with Modus Vivendi Center,
Yerevan; Caucasian Centre for Iranian Studies, Yerevan; International
Society for the Study of Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus (ISSTIC), and
ARMACAD (supported by Hyksos Foundation).
Conference venue: Congress Hotel, Yerevan, 1 Italy str., Yerevan, Armenia
