On the 2-nd of July 2007 president Ilham Aliyev (right) gave a speech during the graduation ceremony at Azerbaijan’s Police Academy.  He said that despite of the permanent international call to punish the policemen, who “had prevented the illegal actions of politicians during demonstrations, none of the policemen would be punished, as they were carrying out their professional duty”. (03-JUL-07)

Written by Shahla Ismailova /HRH Baku on the basis of the speech records of the president

Reference to history
Ilham Aliyev started his speech referring to history. “Eighty-nine years ago the first police organ in Azerbaijan was created by the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. At that time Azerbaijan was a country transitioning into independence. However our independence lasted a total of two years. After this foreign power once again occupied Azerbaijan and the Democratic Republic was silenced. This event could have repeated itself in the early 1990s, because in those years, in only the second year of the country’s independence, Azerbaijan could have lost its independence. In reality the undesirable processes occurring in Azerbaijan; total crisis; chaos and anarchy; were breaking up Azerbaijan. There was no foundation for the development of our country. In those years, the people of Azerbaijan, showing their own management, appealed to great leader Heydar Aliyev and invited him to be Azerbaijan’s political leader. Since then, starting in 1993, Azerbaijan has continued down the path of development with success”.

Economic progress
Ilham Aliyev also noted: “For three consecutive years, Azerbaijan, from an economic aspect, is the quickest developing country in the world and this process continues. In Azerbaijan major building and construction work is being carried out, there is beautiful climate. The condition of society is very beautiful. The relations between the people and the authorities are at a very high level. All of the programs we have implemented have been aimed to improve the Azerbaijani people’s financial welfare.”

Relations with opposition
Speaking of the political situation in the country and the relations between government and opposition, the president mentioned “There is a struggle against those powers, who want to aggravate the situation in the country, those powers that want to illegally change the government. These have all been lived out in the history of Azerbaijan, both in the early 1990s and again in 2005. All of us remember well that criminal groups and “politicians” artificially aggravated the situation in Azerbaijan within the framework of the 2005 parliamentary elections. This, in the political arena, was attempted by “politicians” that have not earned any success and have lost all esteem. From the financial aspect, supportive bribe-taking, treasonous officials and some foreign circles participated in this work. We know all of this.”

No punishment for police
In particular, Aliyev referred to the 2005 elections, and at the same noted that numerous international organizations and structures called for him to punish police officers that committed acts of violence against people, including many journalists. According to Aliyev, he intentionally rejected these calls because the police committed the acts of aggression while carrying out their professional duties. “I want to again return to 2005. Exactly at that time both the people of Azerbaijan said their own words, and Azerbaijan’s police prevented those illegal actions with great bravery, and in a decisive and necessary form. I recall that after this some foreign organizations and circles, tried to pressure us. They even demanded that those police showing rudeness be punished, imprisoned and have criminal cases instituted against them. I did not give opportunity for this. I rejected all of these and said that not a single police worker will be punished, because they carry out their professional duty and they stood in aggravated statehood. They prevent illegal criminal actions. And today I support police, and a take all measures for the development of police; for strengthening of the material and technical basis of police, for the resolution of social problems and to raise the ascendancy of police in society.”