Prominent Azerbaijani writer detained, prevented from traveling abroad
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 30 March 2016 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Prominent Azerbaijani writer detained, prevented from traveling abroad, 30 March 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5768ffc215.html [accessed 26 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
March 30, 2016
Azerbaijani author Akram Aylisli (file photo)
BAKU – Prominent Azerbaijani writer Akram Aylisli has been briefly detained by police at Baku International Airport and prevented from travelling abroad to an Italian literary festival.
The Azerbaijani Interior Ministry said Aylisli, 78, was detained in connection with "an incident" at the airport before being released. The ministry did not disclose further details.
Aylisli's son, Nacaf Naibov said border guards told his father that he is banned from leaving the country.
Aylisli has been under government pressure since the 2012 publication of his novel Stone Dreams that focused on clashes between Azerbaijanis and Armenians in Baku and Nagorno-Karabakh, the mostly Armenian-populated region that broke away from Azerbaijan in the early 1990s.
After the publication of the novel, the writer was officially stripped of his People's Writer title and his presidentially-awarded pension. He was also expelled from the Union of Azerbaijani Writers.
In 2013, a pro-government party offered a $12,700 reward to anyone who cuts off one of Aylisli's ears.
With reporting by TheGuardian.com
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
