Rustam Ibragimbekov: I fell out of favor for having dared to have an opinion

(Exclusive interview with Turan of the famous screenwriter)

Q: How would you describe the current regime in Azerbaijan?

A: I think it is a heavy kind of authoritarianism. We declare ourselves as a country with a democratic social order, but it is not. There is virtually no independent judiciary, there is a pocket parliament, and the country is actually run by a group of oligarch ministers, grossly violating the rights of citizens.

For example, the State Oil Company, under the banner of public interest takes away from citizens their homes and land that was legally purchased by them from the state. But it is possible that sooner or later the State Oil Company will be privatized, and the land will go to the same people, who already control almost all aspects of the economy. Thus, it is the gross violation of the priorities that we announced at the restoration of independence. One of the priorities was to protect private property. Now, however, the accepted ugly laws allow such agencies as SOCAR and the Ministry of Transport to decide to what extent they are interested in these or other areas and take them from the citizens and not agree with anyone.

A very difficult situation is observed with freedom of speech. We do not even have a level of freedom of speech, as in Soviet times. There are several newspapers, where you can speak freely, but others, and all the channels are completely under the control of the authorities. The people who dare to criticize the authorities are seriously pursued in the most sophisticated way. The case of the reporter of Radio Liberty Khadija Ismayilova is a vivid example.

I also fell out of favor for the candid remarks about the situation in the country, for the fact that I have an opinion that does not coincide with the approved product. What false allegations they showered upon me in newspapers and on television screens.

Persecuted are intellectuals and their Forum, created with my participation, for trying to promote the formation of public opinion on the pressing problems of the country.

One of these issues is the state of the national film industry. Cinematographers Union insists on this for years, if not decades... However, no one was interested. They focus only on those areas that bring personal benefits to ministers - the oligarchs. For example, construction of roads, which are 10 times more expensive than abroad, but after 2 years are somehow repaired again.

Of the 150 bookstores in the country there a few and they are all in Baku. In the provinces, there are no bookstores and of those books sold in Baku, only about 2-3% are in Azeri.

Our Forum of Intelligentsia is also trying to raise these issues and bring them to the public's attention. In response to this, the power of all our undertakings is sabotage. For example, despite the presidential decree on the establishment of an international film school, the Union of Cinematographers has not been allocated any manats. Still, we managed to raise funds to implement the first issue of 15 directors, writers and producers.

Derailed was also another big project to create an international cinema festival center in Bailov. This was also to accommodate film school, cinema house, etc. However, the State Oil Company, with no documents, seized our territory, claiming that the land belongs to the state - SOCAR to be exact. And this happens despite the fact that we have got all the necessary documents, and they do not have anything other than oral statements that are "traditionally oil earth."

Courts dutifully rule in favor of SOCAR, and there remains only hope for the European Court of Human Rights.

In this SOCAR does not shun outright lies and manipulation of facts to mislead the public in the country. The land on which we began construction was bought by us (a group of people involved in the project) from the citizens, who, in turn, bought these plots from the Sabail municipality. There was no other way to obtain land to build there. All the areas under the contract were transferred by the owners to the Union of Cinematographers, which approved the project of Festival Centre and began its construction. But then the raider attacks by the oil company came, for which in any civilized country, the company would have been behind bars.

Q: And did you try to somehow agree, invite, or discuss?

A: No, it is unlike the days when Heydar Aliyev, who attached importance to its relations with the intellectuals, ruled the country. In recent years, it has become an obvious desire of the authorities to diminish the role of literature and art and their influence on public opinion.

Many of my comments annoy authority. For example, I believe that the departure of Armenians from Azerbaijan is as much a loss for us, as the departure of Azerbaijanis from Armenia - for Armenians. I think our enemy is not the Armenian people, but the reactionary leadership of Armenia and I am convinced that a normal, non-hostile attitude towards the Armenians living in Azerbaijan, which became a victim of aggression, can help to solve the Karabakh problem. If we want to recognize the people of Karabakh Azerbaijani citizens, we have to guarantee them the same rights and freedoms as for Azerbaijanis.

Not being able to contradict me on the merits, the state machine says the same lie. For example, I was accused of bringing to Baku a Karabakh Dashnak, Roman Balayan and a Bakuvian Armenian Rudick Avanesov. Living in Kiev, the famous film director Roman Balayan has nothing to do with ARF party and last visited Baku in 1985.

A Bakuvian Rudick Avanesov, a great patriot of Azerbaijan, at the time signed a statement in the newspaper "Izvestia", which condemned the Armenian policy in Karabakh. In Baku, he arrived at his own expense, his arrival was known to the Ministry of Security, and the four days that he lived in Baku, he was accompanied by a guard. I'm friends with these people for many years and can vouch for their kindness to our people.

Q: Is it possible in the eastern mentality to tackle corruption, to win the respect of human rights and freedoms of others?

A: The simple question. I think that the people of Eastern countries closer and clearer enlightened authoritarianism. But there must be strong social mechanisms that regulate the relationship between power and society.

As for Western-style democracy, to construct this model in the East is not easy. Western democracy is the product of a very long development. Therefore, I do not believe in the efficacy of elections in Azerbaijan in the present state of society. We must make every effort in the elections next year, to ensure they are held in strict accordance with the application of generally accepted measures of protection against fraud.

Q: Is there any chance of Azerbaijan processes like the Arab Spring? That is the revolution?

Answer: If the dictators in these countries were cleverer, and the public would be better organized and more active, these countries have not reached before the revolution. In Azerbaijan, there are same mistakes. Holds power tactics - the harder the better. If they continue in this vein, then, as I said, a degenerated into a dictatorship, and for it sooner or later follow the revolution.

I once said that Azerbaijan violated the mechanism of the national elite, and because of his poor work in power, there were people not ready for this. Those who are able to form an effective government policy, dumped on the side of life. In this regard, I would like to mention an interesting study by Russian scientists, which found serious variation in the level of representatives of the same nation, along with the intellectual pygmies, people can create intellectual giants. Azerbaijan pygmies take up over the giants.

Q: And as a result, you Rustam Ibragimbekov - the face of the nation - are persecuted. Your books, movies, and all the work in Azerbaijan do not need?

A: I have to agree with you. And in this situation, I can only encourage those who are in power, less steal. The funds, which are invested in our country in the marble fences along roads, could create the most powerful film industry in the world.

Q: What happened to your film festival "East-West"?

A: We have spent 12 years on his. Since 1998, the Decree of Heydar Aliyev declared the annual festival. For some years we have had government support. However, in 2010 the festival was closed, although he popularized our country all over the world, and from the time when Azerbaijan was in the information blockade.

Q: How do you assess the opposition in Azerbaijan?

A: It is quite a motley thing - from political parties of every kind to religious groups and movements. The most powerful parties with a democratic platform are People's Front and Musavat. They have many years of struggle with the inflexibility of the authorities. Unfortunately, they were not able to implement their program, when for some time they were in power. However, they have an undoubted historical merit - these people first brought to the streets of Baku protesters. I attribute the country's future with a new generation of politicians.

Q: You could go and talk to Heydar Aliyev, and can you now get to Ilham Aliyev?

Answer: He is practically inaccessible. I met him five years ago, and it took two months to arrange a meeting to take place.

Q: Who do you support: the government or the opposition?

A: I am alone, but, just as my friends included in the Forum of the Intelligentsia, I am willing to cooperate with all who are in the country to uphold the principles of democracy and the rule of law.

Q: And you are afraid? Have you got a sense of fear?

A: Every normal person has a sense of fear. But I grew up on the outskirts of Baku, where there were traditional norms of behavior by men. One of these rules is that a man should be able to hit back. If you are unable to stand up for your rights, then you are not worthy of respect. My dispute with the authorities is explained with these considerations. Unfortunately, my opponents instead of answers to the problems affected me, answering outright lies and slander, using the mass media. But one of the great said: it is possible to deceive someone for long, one can deceive many for a short time, but you cannot fool all for long - even the credulous people like ours.   -02B-