Footsteps from the Caspian Sea. Akram Aylisli passes his days on the hilly countryside of Baku, the culturally significant capital of Azerbaijan. His freedoms stripped, voice suppressed, and life works destroyed – only Akram’s dignity remains.
Under de facto house arrest, Akram’s “only salvation from the dirt of the outside world is literature.” The nationalists and ruling party of Azerbaijan have vilified him as a traitor and seized his rights to free speech and travel.
The once celebrated and National writer of Azerbaijan became a villain overnight. February 9, 2013 marked the turning point in his fate. They burned his books at the square of his native village. The president of Azerbaijan stripped Aylisli of the title of “People’s Writer” and his presidential pension. His son and wife were fired from their jobs. A bounty was placed for anyone who would cut off the writer’s ear.
His crime? The release of his controversial novella, "Stone Dreams."
“My books were removed from all the country’s libraries and publicly burnt. My plays were pulled from all theaters. My films were removed from circulation. My works were taken out of school textbooks. In short, I find myself in a full spiritual blockade.”
“Stone Dreams” is a realist novella based on the ethnic cleansing of Armenians that took place in the late 1980s. Through the protagonist’s conscience, Akram critiques the hardened hearts of his own people. He appears to project his own inner struggle through the protagonist as he must choose between misguided loyalty and what feels morally just.
Throughout history, the Armenians and Azerbaijanis have lived together harmoniously, but all remnants of this peaceful coexistence have faded into the shadows of the conflict that characterizes the Nagorno-Karabakh region.
The mountainous region of Nagorno-Karabakh is the major point of contention in this ethno-territorial conflict. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan have longstanding historical claims to the area, with each side drawing on different periods of history and political control to justify its stance.
The significance of Nagorno-Karabakh is multi-dimensional, encompassing historical, ethnic, cultural, strategic, and political dimensions. It represents not only a contested territory but also a deeply embedded part of national identity, making concessions from either side incredibly challenging.
Despite the oppression and slander that litters Akram’s life, his story doesn’t end with capitulation and hopelessness. The very actions intended to deplatform Akram have ironically shone the international spotlight on his plight and have allowed more of the historical truth of the region and these two ethnic groups to be revealed. Nominated for a Nobel Peace prize in 2014, Akram was perhaps vindicated for his state of subjugation by the Azerbaijan authoritarian regime.
