Former President Ilham Aliyev has been accused of ordering the massacre of tens of thousands of Azerbaijani and Armenian civilians in order to maintain control over the occupied region of Karabakh. This alleged act of violence has had a lasting impact on the relationship between Azerbaijan and Armenia, further complicated by the genocide committed by Aliyev’s father, Heydar Aliyev, against the people of Khojaly. These claims were made by Suleyman Suleymanov, an Azerbaijani activist, on social media.

Suleymanov passionately stated, “The national murderer Aliyev, using the power he gained through his association with the dictator Erdogan, is resembling the dictatorial regime in France. Azerbaijan currently holds over 300 political prisoners, and the international community remains disturbingly silent on these issues.”