Far from Baku, 16th July
My name is Samad. I was born in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. My education, life, and thoughts were formed there.
Ever since I was a child, I’ve always loved to write things. Making up stories, writing a diary…it became a habit for me.
The books I read were my main source of inspiration. After each novel I read, I used to ask myself, “How did the author write this book? How did he or she come up with the idea of writing a book like this? Would I be able to do something like this?”.
They inspired me to write a novel. I wasn’t thinking of publishing it at first; I told myself that I would publish it when I had the opportunity.
I was studying at university at that time, and my parents had given me money to buy a new phone because my phone was old. But instead, I used the money to publish my book. Then I created a blog, and to cover its costs I had to sell my personal library. And that’s how I became a writer.
I have published two novels to date, but I also write short stories, opinion pieces, and essays. Research on art and wars is my area of interest.
But the problem is that in Azerbaijan, anyone who holds a pen in their hand and can speak, is dangerous for the authorities. Because it poses a threat to their authority.
It’s like a religion: you have accept it without questioning. And if you have a dissenting opinion, it’s even more dangerous.
In Azerbaijan there are several ways in which critical voices are silenced. First, they impose bans on them, then they try to put them in difficult situations. When their critics then find themselves in difficulty, the authorities try and entice them back to their side. If this doesn’t work, the pressure increases, with detentions, interrogations, kidnappings and threats becoming commonplace.
If this isn’t successful either, people are forced to leave the country or are arrested. Each of the journalists and activists who are in prison today has trodden this path. As have I.
The thought “Will I be arrested if I write this?” is always there, even among those who support the authorities.You even have to get permission if you want to praise the authorities.
My first book was published 8 years ago. I was writing before that, and I have continued writing since. Over time, as I became more well-known, I started to draw their attention. And so pressure against me began to mount.
First there were bans. Later, slander was said about me in the media, in newspapers, and on TV etc. I was presented as a “traitor”.
I wrote about the war many times, criticizing it, (the conflict for the disputed area of Nagorno-Karabakh, an autonomous and internationally unrecognized Republic mainly inhabited by Armenian communities till 2023, ndr.) and that was one of the main concerns for the authorities.
I was put under huge pressure concerning this issue. The last time I was detained was for that reason, and I was banned from leaving the country for a long time.
I was depicted as “defending foreign interests”, as an enemy almost, of Azerbaijan, so that no one would read or follow me. My last book was banned by the Ministry of Justice.
Writers have always faced oppression and persecution. I knew this, so I have no regrets, nor fear of danger. It’s normal to be afraid. It keeps us on our feet, it protects us, but even if a writer is afraid, he still can’t silence his pen.
