Baku protests against "Stone Dreams" by Aylisli

An action named "Funeral of Akram Aylisli's book" was held in Baku by more than 50 young activists of the ruling party "Yeni Azerbaijan", who accused the author of the novel of anti-Azerbaijani sentiments.

On February 1, the participants of the rally organized a symbolic funeral of the book "Stone Dreams" by placing it in a makeshift coffin with a cross, the "Trend" reports.

A day earlier, on January 31, a group of pro-government youth, about 30 people strong, held a rally in front of Aylisli's house.

The novel "Stone Dreams" was published in the December issue of the Russian-language magazine "Druzhba Narodov" (Peoples' Friendship). The book draws parallels between the annihilation of the Armenian population of Agulis in 1919 and the pogroms of Armenians in Sumgait and Baku.

The book was discussed at the sitting of the Azerbaijani Parliament on February 1, where MPs blamed the author of the "Stone Dreams" as a traitor and announced proposals to deprive Aylisli of the title of "People's Writer", state awards and citizenship, and to prohibit further publication of his works, the radio station "Echo of the Caucasus" reports.

The writer himself has treated the attacks on him in connection with the novel as groundless, the radio station "Azadlyg" reports. "People here are still unable to perceive a literary work without pushing political accusations," said Akram Aylisli.

He believes that the work of art can not be considered as a part of the politics. "In this novel, there is nothing offensive to the people of Azerbaijan," concluded Aylisli.

A demand to "stop the writer's persecution" was addressed to the public by the Media Rights Institute (MRI), the "Contact Online News" reports. According to the MRI, the anti-writer campaign has a political nature and is well-organized.