Marasmus à la Igor Muradyan on Lragir.am re “Homosexuality and Azerbaijan”

It may take you quite a while to find someone in Armenia who takes ‘political analyst’ Igor Muradyan seriously. He is known for his devotion to conspiracy theories, ridiculous ‘commentaries’ and demagogue propaganda.

I did not know he has such a ‘deep knowledge’ in the subject of “homosexuality and Azerbaijan”. In this ‘commentary’ published by Lragir.am (RU, AM), he writes about usual conspiracy theories of gays manipulating and governing political processes, briefly mentioning other countries, including Russia. Interestingly, he does not mention Armenia. Then he provides with the names and some ‘saucy’ details of what he calls “blue bath” orgy rituals in Azerbaijan (“blue” is a reference to homosexuals in ex-Soviet countries). I wonder where his ‘insider’ knowledge of gay life in Azerbaijan comes from? May be he participated in one of those "blue baths" rituals as an undercover agent?

Even writing about this makes me laugh.

He also ‘exposes’ the ‘enemy’ tactics of using homosexuality as a weapon to ‘recruit’ people in the EU, Russia and Georgia so that they will come up with the anti-Armenian stance and speeches... Paranoid imagination by Igor Muradyan, you know, as usual.

And if you have even slightest doubts re how trustworthy any factual info by Igor Muradyan is, read the last para where he states that the homosexual sex is a criminal offense in Azerbaijan and that ‘powerful forces’ in the country now lobbying to scrap it:

Уголовный кодекс Азербайджана основан на советском УК, правда, в него были внесены существенные изменения. Так, например, в стране нет смертной казни. Но мужеложство наказуемо. Ст. 113 предусматривает за добровольный сексуальный акт до 3-х лет лишения свободы. В той же статье предусмотрено до 5 лет за насильственный акт. Ходят слухи, что  будут проведены реформы по смягчению жизни сексуальных меньшинств. По слухам, весьма могущественные силы в Азербайджане лоббируют внесение изменений в законодательство и полностью признать данные предпочтения правомерными.

In reality: gay sex is not a criminal offense in Azerbaijan, as well as in all South Caucasus countries, as well as in all countries that are members of the Council of Europe. It has been decriminalised for almost a decade now.

I can’t believe Lragir.am pays Igor Muradyan to write such nonsense. What is also disappointing is that in Armenian version of this ‘commentary’ they use unacceptable Armenian terms to refer to homosexuality and gay people with the “-mol” ending. Usual Muradyan, disappointing Lragir.

*Thanks to reader of my blog H.A. for the link.