Repression cannot silence critics, exiled Azerbaijani historian says

Altay Goyushov

A prominent Azerbaijani historian living in exile has warned that the government's attempts to silence dissent through criminal charges and repression will ultimately fail.

Prof Altay Goyushov, who faces in-absentia arrest in Azerbaijan on charges of making anti-state appeals, told independent news outlet Meydan TV that the authorities were attempting to suppress all domestic criticism.

Goyushov, a well-known academic and commentator now living in the United States, said the crackdown intensified after the government sought to capitalise on its military victory in the Nagorno-Karabakh region.

"The government believed this victory gave them long-term, even permanent, political credit," Goyushov said. "But when social and political problems resurfaced, criticism returned, and the authorities reacted primitively by trying to silence everyone."

The academic, who was forced out of his university post in Baku in 2013 following pressure over his views, is one of several high-profile critics targeted by Azerbaijani authorities. Human rights groups have frequently criticised Azerbaijan under President Ilham Aliyev for suppressing independent media and political opposition.

Goyushov, whose father was a prominent archaeologist, drew sharp comparisons between the current academic climate in Azerbaijan and that of the Soviet era.

"There is no scientific environment in Azerbaijan today," he said. "It is a propaganda environment operating under an authoritarian state."

He added that even during the Soviet Union (USSR) era, elections to the Academy of Sciences held more integrity and meritocracy than the current system.

Discussing why younger Azerbaijanis appear politically inactive, Goyushov argued that it was a matter of self-preservation rather than indifference.

"People see someone protest and get arrested or forced to apologise the next day," Goyushov said. "No one wants to face violence or prison, but that does not mean they do not understand what is happening."

On the prospect of returning to Azerbaijan, Goyushov compared his situation to that of the 19th-Century French writer Victor Hugo, who refused to return to France during the authoritarian rule of Napoleon III until democratic freedoms were restored.

"I do not see any reason to sacrifice my freedom," Goyushov said, adding that he would not return under a government amnesty that left systemic issues unchanged. "I want to live in a free country. I will return when Azerbaijan is free."

Despite his exile, Goyushov said he remained confident that democratic change was inevitable.

"This system of corruption and bribery cannot last forever," he said. "Justice will eventually be established."