Congratulations on Republic Day of Azerbaijan, or Gloomy Reflections on Occasion of Big Holiday

Today - May 28, marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Azerbaijan People's Republic (APR), the first state in the Muslim East, which proclaimed the values ​​of the Republic in its broadest sense for its ideals.

It was the state, from which today"s Azerbaijan, which declared itself the legal successor of the APR, only keeps state attributes in the form of a flag, a coat of arms and a hymn.

What was Azerbaijan of 2018? Today, with the formal availability of all the institutions, three branches of power necessary for the Republic, and the Constitution that establishes the rights and duties of citizens, we have, in fact, a state with an authoritarian system of government that often resembles a monarchy in many ways.

The existing nominally legislative, executive and judicial branches are only obedient executors of directives coming from the presidential administration.

The first signs of a lurch of young and then still democratic Azerbaijan toward authoritarianism began to appear after the upheaval of 1993. It was after this that the first political prisoners recognized by local and international human rights organizations appeared in the country. At the same time, thanks to the presence of human rights NGOs and independent media, there was at least some public control in the country, and the authorities, in some way, kept themselves within the framework.

But whereas in the 1990's still there was an imitation of democracy, then the authorities openly started to restrict democratic freedoms at the legislative level. They blocked oxygen to the institutions of civil society, banned financing from abroad, and closed local bureaus of world media - Radio Liberty, Voice of America and BBC, effectively depriving the population of alternative sources of information and opinions.

But under the President, funds were created to support the "right" media and NGOs, whose activities corresponded to "the line of the party and government." The state grants them grants, and even helps them with free housing. Thus, there are practically no sources of alternative opinions in the country, and all acting ones are pocket NGOs and media of the authorities. As for the problem of political prisoners, by their number (160 people) we are among the world leaders.

Of course, the authorities made sure that these people were not perceived as political prisoners, fabricating criminal articles against them about "hooliganism" and "illegal trafficking in weapons and drugs."

As is clear from the above, Azerbaijan, which today celebrates the centennial of its first Republic, is not at all the state for whose creation the founding fathers of APR struggled 100 years ago.

For comparison, neighboring Georgia and Armenia (on these days) also mark the 100th anniversary of the formation of their first republics. It so happened that both of these countries (Armenia at the last moment) passed the test and proved their right to democracy.

A different situation exists in Azerbaijan, where we came to this memorable date with a stagnant anti-democratic power. Therefore, it is difficult for our society to call ourselves worthy heirs of the founders of the Azerbaijan People"s Republic.