System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian has called out Imagine Dragons for their decision to perform in Azerbaijan, saying he doesn’t “respect them as human beings”. The US pop-rock group played a gig in the country’s capital city, Baku, last September, despite criticism that it could be seen as an endorsement of Azerbeijan’s authoritarian president , Ilham Aliyev. Tankian, who is Armenian-American, had previously penned a letter to Imagine Dragons – comprising vocalist Dan Reynolds , guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee and drummer Daniel Platzman – asking them to reconsider their decision to play in Baku, amid concerns that it would help to “whitewash the dictatorial regime’s image”.
In recent years, Azerbaijan has been criticised by organisations including the International Court of Justice and Amnesty International. On Amnesty’s website, the human rights charity states: “Azerbaijan’s blockade of a key route into the breakaway territory of Nagorno-Karabakh endangered the lives of thousands of people and, followed by a military offensive, forced most of the ethnic Armenians to flee the region. The government’s crackdown on freedom of expression intensified.
“Journalists, human rights defenders and activists were arrested in retaliation for their work. Peaceful protests were suppressed, and the work of media outlets and independent organisations remained unduly restricted. Women and girls continued to face gender-based harassment and violenc.
