Listen to the article.
With the sham trials against Nagorno-Karabakh’s military-political leadership and other Armenian prisoners of war (POWs), Azerbaijani state-sponsored media and officials have launched yet another campaign of hatred toward Armenians. Azerbaijani MP Elman Mamadov of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan party, in a recent interview with Azerbaijani press, said: “We forced the enemy to his knees; we knocked him down. We shed blood on the battlefield. If the lands had been returned through negotiations, I would not have been as happy or proud. It would have felt like an illusion. When the time came, if we had met an Armenian he would have said, ‘You begged, you asked, and we returned it.’ But we won the battle, we shed the blood of Armenians, and we took our revenge. Today, we still live with pride, knowing we are citizens of a victorious state. What could be better than that?”
Another Azerbaijani MP, Nigar Arpadarai, commenting on the ongoing trials, stated, “The Baku court must expose these truths to the world, restore historical justice, and pay tribute to the memory of the innocent victims of Khojaly. Though some perpetrators may evade justice, they must live in fear for the rest of their lives. Their lifelong goal of occupying Azerbaijani lands has already failed before their eyes, and from now on, the sword of Damocles of justice will hang over their heads…”
The blatant hatred and predetermined verdicts against Armenians held hostage in Baku expose Azerbaijan’s lack of genuine interest in peace. These trials are not about justice but rather a means to incite further hatred and aggression within Azerbaijani society. At the same time, they deepen anger and skepticism among Armenians, undermining trust in their government’s peace efforts, especially following the forced displacement and ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s Armenian population.
It is deeply disappointing that Aliyev has shown no genuine desire for lasting peace or normalized relations with Armenia, a fact that became evident after the 2020 war in Artsakh. Transparency International has reported on state-sponsored campaigns of anti-Armenian rhetoric since 2020—particularly monitoring the years 2021, 2022, and 2023. These reveal that the Azerbaijani government systematically promotes the dehumanization and demonization of Armenians. This policy cultivates a national identity built on perceived superiority over and humiliation of Armenians. Such rhetoric of hatred serves two purposes: it inflames public sentiment and provides a manufactured moral justification for Azerbaijan’s continued military actions and violations of international humanitarian law. The government has banned all peace and reconciliation discourse in Azerbaijan, with activists who advocate for Armenian-Azerbaijani reconciliation facing imprisonment.
The widespread animosity perpetuated by Azerbaijan’s leadership has played a key role in shaping a national mindset of dominance––uniting the population against a common enemy, intensifying hate propaganda toward Armenia and Armenians, garnering support for military aggression, and normalizing violence—while stalling any prospects for reconciliation or peace. This tendency continued throughout 2024, with Aliyev repeatedly referring to Armenians in his speeches as “jackals”, “rabbits”, “bloodthirsty enemies”, “vandals” and other derogatory terms. Moreover, in his first interview of 2025, Aliyev went further by declaring, “The independent Armenian state is, in fact, a fascist state…”. This inflammatory rhetoric helps explain why Azerbaijan is now presenting its ongoing sham trials as a “Second Nuremberg”.
If Azerbaijan had evidence of anti-Azerbaijani propaganda from Armenian state leaders or representatives, it would not be pushing Armenia to withdraw all cases from international courts. Both countries have filed parallel cases at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), each alleging violations of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD) related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Armenia accuses Azerbaijan of ethnic cleansing of Armenians, while Azerbaijan accuses Armenia of similar acts against Azerbaijanis––both cases are currently under ICJ review.
The ICJ thus serves as the perfect venue for Azerbaijan to present its narrative to the world. Yet with no substantive case to present, official Baku instead demands Armenia withdraw its own case while conducting politically motivated trials of Armenian representatives without international oversight. In Azerbaijan, state-sponsored anti-Armenian hatred and propaganda constitute a core foundation of Aliyev’s authoritarian regime. His decades-long exploitation of anti-Armenian sentiment ultimately led to the war in Nagorno-Karabakh and the ethnic cleansing of its Armenian population. Now, even after forcibly displacing the Armenians, Azerbaijan is systematically and deliberately destroying the entire Christian Armenian heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh.
Speeches that Aliyev has delivered in 2024, serve as the clearest testament to the state-sponsored hatred fueling Azerbaijan’s policies toward Armenians. They are filled with inflammatory rhetoric and dehumanizing language. They reflect and actively shape public sentiment in Azerbaijan, reinforcing a culture of animosity and justifying aggressive policies. We present his statements without commentary, not because they need interpretation, but because their sheer volume, consistency and absurdity reveal the depth of this hostility. By documenting Aliyev’s own words, we gain a stark, unfiltered view of how deeply anti-Armenian sentiment is embedded in Azerbaijan’s political discourse and why peace remains so elusive.
This reality underscores the urgency of releasing Armenian hostages held in Baku, as their lives hang in the balance. Such state-sponsored hatred at the highest level demands serious attention from both the Armenian government and international actors committed to regional peace and stability.
January 10, 2024
Ilham Aliyev: “The criminals who waged a bloody war against us, committed vandalism, perpetrated the Khojaly genocide, destroyed our lands, cities and villages have been arrested, detained today and will be brought to justice.”
“…So, it became no longer possible to illegally transport weapons, ammunition, mines and manpower to Karabakh. However, despite this, we maintained humanitarian access. We all remember very well that patients were evacuated and transported with the Red Cross. Later, the Armenians living in Karabakh started to use that road without incident. Their vehicles were simply inspected. They traveled in their personal vehicles. The Azerbaijani border guards were very attentive and were instructed to treat civilians with respect. However, following a military provocation where our post was attacked, we temporarily closed the road to investigate before reopening it. The subsequent events are well known, so I will not elaborate further. The remnants of the Armenian state and certain local separatists effectively denied themselves humanitarian assistance.
“The criminals who waged a bloody war against us, committed vandalism, perpetrated the Khojaly genocide, and destroyed our lands, cities and villages have been arrested, and will be brought to justice. Among them are all the former leaders of Karabakh, including the so-called prime minister who was brought to Karabakh, and others. Only two people from that group are missing—they are in Yerevan. If they were here too, the full team would be complete. This is indeed a triumph of justice, and this is exactly what I meant when I said we must have faith in justice and fight for it. They never imagined their wishes to ‘have tea in Baku’ would be fulfilled this way—sitting in a Baku detention center, awaiting the court’s judgment.”
February 14, 2024
Ilham Aliyev: “We completely crushed the Armenian army on the battlefield in just 44 days.”
“…We completely crushed the Armenian army on the battlefield in just 44 days. According to their own admission, the Armenian army had more than 12,000 deserters, while not a single person from the Azerbaijani Army abandoned the battlefield. This demonstrates the indomitable spirit of the Azerbaijani people and shows that a new generation has emerged––one ready to face death for the Motherland, our lands, and our national dignity. Our young people stood prepared to die. We dispelled the myth that Armenia had propagated worldwide for years, exposing the cowardly and capitulating nature of the Armenian army.
“Violence against our people began in the late 1980s in Khankendi. The very building where I cast my vote where the genocide against our people was planned and orchestrated. In the square in front of that building, Armenian nationalists—and later the Armenian state—made their territorial claims against us. During Soviet times, this same building housed a special committee whose sole purpose was to separate Karabakh from Azerbaijan—a fact widely known. That is why the devils that illegally occupied our historical land for 30 years––the land built by Panahali Khan––met their downfall in that very place. The ballot I cast there was more than just a piece of paper; it was the final nail in the coffin of Armenian separatism.
“We have given martyrs and shed blood. We put our chests forward and went to fight against the Armenian invaders. This unity, this solidarity, and this glorious history of victory unites all the peoples living in Azerbaijan even more, and this is a priority for us.
“We should also take into account the fact that the contemptible enemy mined our territories and more than 300 people have already lost their lives or suffered injuries because of that.
“Technological development and superiority are crucial in industrial development, the military-industrial complex, and military operations. Everyone saw this during the Second Karabakh War and the anti-terrorist operation. Of course, the main factor behind our victory is the Azerbaijani soldier––the soldiers and officers who destroy the enemy and raise our flag in liberated lands…”
February 26, 2024
Ilham Aliyev: “We represent a great nation, a nation that has shaken off its shackles, a nation that united like a fist and broke the back of the enemy…”
“…The Khojaly genocide will never be erased from the memory of our people. The people of Azerbaijan will never forget that bloody crime. Thirty-two years ago, the Armenian state committed this horrific tragedy and killed innocent people. A total of 613 people were brutally killed, 150 people went missing—of course, their fate is also known—and more than 1,000 people were taken hostage; more than 60 children, over 100 women, and 70 elderly people were massacred by the Armenian savages and fascists in one night.
“We have restored historical justice. We avenged the innocent victims of Khojaly on the battlefield; we avenged their blood. True, it took us 30 years, but the work we did in those 30 years and our consistent policies made it possible for us to come and live here today.
“Let me reiterate that we took our revenge on the criminals during the Second Karabakh War and the anti-terror operation, crushed them, destroyed the Armenian army and forced it to sign capitulation twice.
“We are filled with anger, and this anger will not subside even after 300 years, let alone 30. This is natural; we are human beings. Yet at the same time, we represent a great nation, a nation that has shaken off its shackles, a nation that, united like a fist, broke the back of the enemy—the enemy with great powers behind it, both then and now. If those great powers had not supported them, our lands would not have been occupied in the early 1990s. We were powerless then, while they had great forces with them. Today we are strong, and some people tell us that we should have mercy, but did they have mercy on us then?
“Let me say again that all these are, of course, our thoughts and feelings. I repeat that we took our revenge, showed excellent professionalism, heroism and selflessness both during the 44-day Second Karabakh War and during the one-day anti-terror operation. The sons of this country were prepared to die to free these lands from the invaders…”
March 10, 2024
Ilham Aliyev: “The contemptible enemy made a miscalculation.”
“…The contemptible enemy made a miscalculation. They were so convinced of their own myths that they thought they would be able to keep our lands under occupation forever. Their patrons behind them––the great states––further reinforced this confidence in them. But we were sure, we knew that the day would come and we would return to our native lands…
“The 1994 ceasefire was an enforced measure—we could never put up with the ceasefire, neither my father nor I. He did not live to see this day. We, his followers, have fulfilled his and the Azerbaijani people’s dream and achieved this historic victory. We showed the enemy their place, and today they stand helpless in front of us. Today, at our demand alone, four villages of Gazakh district are being returned to us without requiring any other measures.. They will be returned to us on our demand, and this is the way it should be. This is how it will be from now on. We have the say here—we are the leading state in the Caucasus economically, politically, militarily, and in all aspects. Everyone must reckon with us. Both Armenia and the foreign circles behind it, those giving them false promises, will regret if they do not reckon with us…”
March 18, 2024
Ilham Aliyev: “We avenged the blood of all our martyrs and innocent victims of Khojaly on the battlefield…”
“…We avenged the blood of all our martyrs and innocent victims of Khojaly on the battlefield, and we are proud of that.
“On February 26, I laid the foundation of the Khojaly memorial together with the natives of Khojaly. The demolition of the illegally built devil’s nest—the so-called parliament building and its adjacent terrorist organization building—began on February 26, and both were razed to the ground. There is no longer any trace of separatists here. The Novruz bonfire is also doing the final cleansing…”
April 23, 2024
Ilham Aliyev attends “COP29 and Green Vision for Azerbaijan”
“When they say that the young generation of Armenians will take Turkish territory, that was a degradation of a serious psychological disease, not only of Serzhik Sargsyan, but also of those who listen to him and those who asked him this question. So now, what do we expect? That Armenian government will move from words to actions, and we will judge them accordingly. They must understand that the Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance is as solid as rock, and they need to take that into account now and in the future.”
May 28, 2024
Ilham Aliyev: “…The current leadership of Armenia may perhaps be able to at least partially atone for the sins of these savages, vandals and bloodsuckers…”
Source (translated by author)
“…We initiated this project, and on February 26, the foundation of the Khojaly Memorial Complex was laid in Khojaly together with its residents. It will be built here and the whole world will see the extent of Armenian barbarity. This is the truth, and everyone must know it. Armenia itself must acknowledge this and apologize to us. Only through this might the current leadership of Armenia perhaps be able to at least partially atone for the sins of these savages, vandals and bloodsuckers…”
September 20, 2024
Ilham Aliyev: “This moral and psychological edge once again proves our overall superiority…”
“…Exactly one year ago, the heroic Azerbaijani Army fully restored our state sovereignty. Through an anti-terrorist operation lasting less than 24 hours, separatists were expelled, Azerbaijan fully ensured its state sovereignty, international law triumphed, and Azerbaijan demonstrated its strength once again.
“Our glorious army advanced every day for 44 days, liberating settlements from invaders each day. As far as I know, such a military operation is unprecedented in world military history. We never retreated. Several villages, towns, and cities were liberated on a daily basis. Not a single soldier abandoned the battlefield.
“Meanwhile, according to Armenia’s own officials, there were more than 12,000 deserters in the Armenian army. What does this indicate? It shows the high moral qualities of our people. These young people who stepped forward were raised in the spirit of patriotism, and the liberation of the Motherland was the most honorable mission for them. The young people who stepped forward and were prepared to die carried the mission of restoring our national dignity—and we achieved exactly that.
“This moral and psychological edge once again proves our overall superiority.
“Another thesis was that it was necessary to cooperate with Armenia. Various seminars were organized through non-governmental organizations. Certain people in our society compromised themselves to foreign interests, attending these trainings, mingling with Armenians, making deals, and organizing joint meetings with them. What contacts could we have with the bloodthirsty enemy who committed the Khojaly genocide and razed all our cities and villages in the Karabakh region to the ground? The goal of those who wanted to perpetuate this occupation was to ensure that the future generation, the young generation, would no longer desire war, that we should make peace with Armenia, and thus the occupation would remain in place. We, the people of Azerbaijan, shattered all these plans and overturned them…”
September 30, 2024
Ilham Aliyev: “This brutality has been committed against us in front of the whole world for centuries…”
“…We all know that the 150th anniversary of Ashiq Alasgar’s birth was celebrated across the Soviet Union in the 1970s at the National Leader’s initiative, and his statue was erected in his native Agkilsa village to mark this jubilee. When our people faced the third wave of deportation, Armenian vandals destroyed that statue. We are seeing that today. In Karabakh and East Zangezur, Armenian vandals have destroyed our historical sites, monuments to prominent personalities, mosques, palaces, and cemeteries. This practice is not new, this injustice, this brutality has been committed against us in front of the whole world for centuries.”
October 4, 2024
Ilham Aliyev: “The Armenians displayed their barbarism throughout our lands.”
“…All this work demonstrates that the rightful owners of this land have returned. The treacherous enemy has only destroyed these territories for 30 years.
“When I first came to Jabrayil after our historic victory, I was horrified. We knew that the Armenians displayed their barbarism throughout our lands. We knew that the vast majority of our territories were in ruins. Yet it was inconceivable to think that such savagery and inhumane actions could exist.”
November 8, 2024
Ilham Aliyev: “…We forced the enemy to sign the act of capitulation.”
“We avenged the blood of our martyrs on the battlefield. The 44-day Patriotic War is our glorious history, our brilliant Victory. We avenged the blood of the martyrs of both the First and Second Karabakh Wars, as well as those of the anti-terrorist operation, and restored our territorial integrity and sovereignty.
“For 44 days, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan only moved forward. Moving forward each day and hour, we liberated more than 300 towns and villages from the invaders, forcing the enemy to sign an act of capitulation.
“We forced the enemy to surrender. The same enemy who once declared in Khankendi in 2019 that ‘Karabakh is Armenia, full stop.’ But we forced that enemy to acknowledge that ‘Karabakh is Azerbaijan!’ ––and the enemy will say this again in the future, however reluctantly.”
