Azerbaijan: Aliyev appoints wife as first vice-president

Azerbaijan | 10 March 2017

According to Radio Free Europe reporting on 21 February 2017, President Ilham Aliyev announced that he has appointed his wife as first vice-president of the country. This means that she would take over as president if Aliyev was unable to rule the country himself. Rolf Zeegers, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, comments: "The fact that President Aliyev can take such an important decision without consulting parliament and/or the cabinet shows the authoritarian nature of his rule. He has been president of the former Soviet republic since October 2003, when he was steered into office by his ailing father, Heydar Aliyev, who had ruled with an iron fist since 1993. Now that Aliyev has appointed his wife as vice-president, it is clear that he intends to keep all power in family hands." Rolf Zeegers adds: "For Christians in Azerbaijan this step also holds a message: Their current oppressors are definitely planning to remain in place and continue their policies. No improvement is to be expected for a long time to come."