Letter to Euro MPs: have you taken a bribe from Ilham Aliyev?

Dear MEP,

Have you taken a bribe from Ilham Aliyev?

Don't be surprised by this question. And don't be insulted. Yes, that's what Azeri people have been led to believe - the massive corruption is needed to make large resources available unofficially and at-will for appeasing foreign officials and parliamentarians, to make them friends of Azerbaijan. How gruesome!

Please read on - that's the least you can do. We make it short so you read in your busy daily schedule.

Hidden stack of corrupt money for example was needed to win and host Eurovision, it is rumored. This is to boost country's image and brag about its economic prosperity. Eurovision is not a political event, many say. Well, it is made political. President presents the event to people as a triumph of his foreign policies and acceptance by Europe– to create a sense of legitimacy of his inherited power.

One cannot talk about the corruption related to Eurovision - for example, that main contractors to build the venue and host the event belong to daughters of the President Aliyev. For this, you can be prosecuted for a grief crime against patriotism. This is what they did to a female journalist for investigating Eurovision corruption - planted a camera in her bedroom and released an explicit video on internet! This is in the context of a very traditional society. The state newspapers in fact released the site address where to find the video. Masses of people evicted from their homes and houses bulldozed to free space for Eurovision venue. A construction person died - ran over by a construction truck in haste of building a manifestation of the glamour that can be bought by oil money.

Has the oil money reached you? That's certainly what normal people think. They think this in disbelieve that Europe would be silent otherwise. Especially if you hear about infiltration of filthy money in UK – Prince Andrew business ties with Azerbaijan, PM Blair’s ‘image lifting’ contract with Azeri government, MPs’ Blackman, Hammond, Sutcliffe, Kilclooney, Rogan, and Field all-expenses-paid trip to Azerbaijan! Same has started in France – with Senators Goulet and six others and Parliamentarian Dumont. You know where this ‘lobby’ money comes from? A very primitive business – from the Minister in Azerbaijan who is in charge of ‘monopolies’ – system that allows only certain people to import every good into the country, from lighters to cars, with controlled pricing and extorted billions of illegal revenues. So, every dollar these Sirs and Madams benefited from has behind it a broken dream, unfulfilled promise, unattained happiness, and impossibility of self-realization. Another Minister, also through his son, is working now on the USA Congress, even reached Senator McCain. This son of a minister is a person who bought a bear kept as a pet in a cage for $1 million and grilled it! This says a lot about the Moral Code of the clan in power!

How personally accountable and passionate are you for European values? When you go to sleep, think that there is a family whose son has not returned home today as was arrested for speaking out. Know that there is a wife who received a corpse from the authorities as her young husband died in custody of police. Isn't a cry of one child or a mother not tragic enough? Isn't a suffering of one dishonored person intolerable enough? What about thousands who whisper, as they live in fear. What about millions who are disillusioned, disenfranchised, and desperate! This in your backyard, in a country that ratified European Human Rights Convention in 2002!

My favorite question - why aren’t people revolting? Is that what you want though? Well, it is in fact inevitable. But at that time - don't be surprised when people shut the door on you together with the current ruling clan. Why wouldn't they. “Where were you back then?” - they will ask. ‘Back then’ is now! What are you doing now? Yes, you…personally …!

• Ask Eurovision to reconsider the risk to its legacy and demand Government action!
• Insist to release political prisoners now, join the European Liberal Democrats Petition!
• Ask your governments to say enough is enough!
• Put in agenda blacklisting Azeri officials for traveling to Europe!
• Put in agenda investigating corrupt filthy money in your banks!
• Hedge your positions with people and not the ruling clan! Regimes change, people stay!

Please support this plea. Leave a comment!

 

By the way, we take our hats off to European Liberal Democrats and Minister Westerwelle of Germany for speaking out! This is what true leadership is all about.