Whereas the Aliyev regime’s brutal crackdown of Islamic activists has failed to cow them down, it will in fact result in the shortening of the regime’s shelf-life.
The unelected regime of Ilham Aliyev in Azerbaijan is incapable of protecting the interests of the people as evident from his lack of interest in protecting Karabakh that is illegally occupied by Armenia.
By making the Islamic movement its primary target over the past three years, the regime has actually bestowed greater credibility on the movement as the only legitimate opposition to its oppressive policies and therefore, worthy of public support.
Russia’s grip on the North Caucasus is becoming more complicated and therefore, loosening up as a consequence of recent developments.
Over the past year the political scene in Azerbaijan has been dominated by two centers of power: the autocratic regime centered around Aliyev and the Islamic movement centered around activists, journalists, scholars, lawyers and the wider Azeri population.
