Ramil Safarov, an Azeri army officer, was on a NATO-sponsored training seminar in Hungary. He attacked a sleeping Armenian officer, striking 16 blows with an axe, severing his head. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder in Hungary.
In August 2012, Safarov was extradited to Azerbaijan after President Aliyev guaranteed he would serve the rest of his sentence behind bars. Instead, Aliyev pardoned him and proclaimed him a hero with a huge party on his arrival in Baku. He was promoted to the rank of major, given an apartment and eight years of back pay. Aliyev’s duplicity drew widespread condemnation.
In Malta, Aliyev’s friend Joseph Muscat was also partying. In February 2019, Muscat held a private birthday party at his official residence in Girgenti. Only a select few were invited.
Among them was Yorgen Fenech, the alleged mastermind behind the murder of Muscat’s arch-critic, Daphne Caruana Galizia. Like Safarov, Fenech was feted like a hero, invited to the exclusive party at which not even members of cabinet were welcome.
In November 2019, Muscat travelled to Montenegro to inaugurate the €90 million Mozura wind farm. Out of the deal, Fenech made €4.6 million through his company 17 Black. Like Aliyev did to Safarov, Muscat handsomely rewarded Fenech.
In 2012, Akram Aylisli, the greatest living Azerbaijani author, published a book documenting the persecution of Armenians by Azeris. Aylisli was previously revered by President Aliyev who bestowed on him the title “The people’s writer”. But Aylisli’s book seriously displeased Aliyev. The repercussions were swift and severe.
Aliyev coordinated official outrage against Aylisli. An Aliyev supporter offered €13,000 to anyone who would chop off the writer’s ear. Aylisli was threatened with death. Teachers burned his books as they urged students to join in.
Aliyev publicly stripped him of his official titles and his monthly stipend. Aylisli’s wife and son lost their jobs in state-controlled institutions.
Aylisli was arrested on trumped-up charges. He was prevented from travelling outside Azerbaijan and attending his Nobel prize nomination. Rallies were regularly organised against him. Public officials labelled him a traitor and insisted that “public hatred” was the correct response.
In Malta, another writer was seriously displeasing Joseph Muscat. Co-ordinated attacks, harassment and accusations of treachery mounted against her.
In April 2016, Labour mayor Ignatius Farrugia coordinated a mob to harass and intimidate Daphne Caruana Galizia. She sought refuge in a Franciscan convent as the pack chanted “Drag her out, power belongs to us, Malta tagħna lkoll”.
Muscat drew mass hysteria and open weeping, worthy of a Kim il Sung funeral
The mayor was found guilty and sentenced to four days imprisonment and a €2,400 fine. But in a bizarre twist, Judge Giovanni Grixti petitioned the president to pardon Farrugia, who was freed after spending only two hours in jail. The fine was withdrawn. Farrugia shamelessly wrote: “I believe good always prevails.”
Muscat’s close ally Glenn Bedingfield set up a website with the explicit intention of fuelling “public hatred” against the journalist. Labour’s One mocked her as a witch.
Like Aylisli, Caruana Galizia witnessed the harassment of her own son, summarily withdrawn from his diplomatic posting in India, on the explicit orders of Carmelo Abela. She was targeted by the VAT Department which demanded over €100,000 in “outstanding VAT”.
Libel cases against her came from all directions – Chris Cardona, DB, Adrian Delia. Cardona’s garnishee orders froze her bank accounts. Joseph Muscat conspired with Henley and Partners to silence her with crippling lawsuits in London.
Finally, somebody, allegedly the man Muscat invited to his birthday party, offered money for her elimination. Unlike Aylisli, who never lost his ear, Caruana Galizia was blown up.
Safarov is dwarfed by Azerbaijan’s most important national hero – Heydar Aliyev, President Aliyev’s father. Lavish parties, fireworks and live music still mark the ‘great man’s’ birthday. The Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan set up a Department of Aliyev Studies: “Aliyevshumasliq”.
One of the department’s academics stated: “Thanks to Aliyev we have reached a situation where we have no problems.” Aliyev, he claimed, “did so much, the whole world loves him”.
That personality cult was manifest at Muscat’s farewell tour. Despite being forced to resign in disgrace, Muscat was feted around the island, with stops in Naxxar, Żebbuġ and Paola.
Embraced by the contenders for his post, Chris Fearne and Robert Abela, Muscat drew mass hysteria and open weeping, worthy of a Kim il Sung funeral: “He did so much, Malta is the best in Europe.”
For his final speech, the Corradino Sports Pavilion proved too small. Thousands watched their hero on big screens outside. Thousands more crammed inside to hear the great man’s words.
“Let us not make the same mistakes we made in the past by allowing others to write our history,” he demanded. He meant, let us make sure that the truth never comes out and may you all continue to believe my personality cult. Otherwise, my very freedom is at risk.
That cult had been carefully crafted over more than a decade. One stark example of how far the Azerbaijanisation of Malta had reached was the concert held by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra in February 2018 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre featuring “the Prime Minister’s choice of timeless hits”.
Proceeds raised went to the Marigold Foundation – controlled by volunteer of the year, Muscat’s wife. The orchestra was directed by its chairman, Labour candidate Sigmund Mifsud.
Faced with ridicule, the orchestra spokesperson stated: “We don’t find anything odd about it, other countries hold these types of concerts.”
“Which?” he was asked. He was too embarrassed to answer: Azerbaijan.
Where is Muscat now? He is a “friend” of the Nizami Ganjavi Centre, a political group funded by Aliyev to promote his interests through “caviar diplomacy”.
Of course, whatever Aliyev is granting Muscat for his efforts pales compared to the millions of euro Azerbaijan makes each year from Muscat’s secret exclusive deal with SOCAR for Malta’s supply of liquefied gas.
Meanwhile, Muscat’s account has trebled in value in a few short months.
Kevin Cassar, Professor of surgery and former PN candidate
Correction May 25: Amended date of Ignatius Farrugia sentence to April 2016.