Ramiz Mehdiyev Pleads Not Guilty, Blames His Critics

Baku/24.08.20/Turan: On August 24, in the morning, the media in Azerbaijan reported that the President of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan Ramiz Mehdiyev was on vacation after the scandalous wedding of his granddaughter Fidan Aliyeva, which caused outrage in the society, which was deprived of the opportunity to celebrate weddings due to the pandemic. Soon after the message about the vacation, the second information appeared: Ramiz Mehdiyev continues to work and he is at his workplace.

By the evening it became clear what the President of the National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) was doing. By 6 pm on August 24, a lengthy statement by Mehdiyev appeared on the official website of the Academy, in which he did not say a word about his guilt.

Repeating several times in his statement his adherence to the principle of equality of all citizens before the law, Mehdiyev does not explain the reason for his family's violation of the law. At the same time, he also calls it legal to fine the guests and organizers of the wedding in Novkhany, held in Mehdiyev's country house, on August 18.

Instead of apologizing and admitting his guilt, the President of ANAS announced that other famous people in the society were holding weddings on the same day. But they are not punished.

Mehdiyev is outraged that his sons-in-law were brought to court in handcuffs, but none of the other violators of quarantine in the country, according to Mehdiyev, was handcuffed.

Then, returning to the “equality of all before the law,” the President of ANAS refers to the Koran and retells the plot from the holy book.

Then he turns to his warnings to those who have criticized him on social networks and the press since August 20 - journalists, parliamentarians and politicians.

Mehdiyev considers these people unworthy to criticize his person, since none of those who attacked the President of ANAS are perfect, as explained the President of the Academy.

In Mehdiyev’s text, attention can be paid to the absence of the names of those about whom he speaks with regard to the accusation of violation of the law and criticism against him.

Mehdiyev does not express bureaucratic reverence for Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva in his statement, while mentioning the leaders of the state in specifically obsequious terms is a prerequisite for any public speech of Azerbaijani officials.    –0—