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Aliyev Condemns Killing of Azerbaijanis in Russia, Calls 1920 Soviet Takeover an “Occupation”
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In an interview with Al Arabiya, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev called the killing of Azerbaijani citizens in Russia an “unprecedented act” and described the country’s incorporation into the USSR in 1920 as an occupation. The interview took place on August 26.
Aliyev commented for the first time on recent raids against Azerbaijanis in Russia, which left two citizens dead, calling the attacks “unprecedented.” He also signaled that Baku is still awaiting an adequate response from Moscow regarding the downing of an Azal airliner, which preliminary investigations suggest was shot down by Russian air defenses.
“The downing of an Azerbaijani civilian aircraft by Russian forces and the reaction of Russian officials to the incident have caused enormous disappointment and discontent in Azerbaijan,” he said.
In the interview, Aliyev referred to the Soviet takeover of Azerbaijan in 1920 as an occupation: “After the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1917, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was established… It lasted until April 1920, when the Russian army invaded and occupied the country. The Bolsheviks took the state away from us,” Azerbaijan’s President stated.
Previously, Aliyev has reiterated his country’s firm support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, stressing that Baku’s position has not changed since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Aliyev underlined that Azerbaijan was among the first countries to publicly back Kyiv’s territorial integrity when the war broke out in February 2022.
