System Of A Down frontman Serj Tankian has known as for Think about Dragons to cancel their upcoming live performance in Baku, Azerbaijan this September.
Final evening (August 16), Tankian took to social media to publicly urge Think about Dragons to name off their Baku live performance after he had despatched them a non-public letter however acquired no response.
In his publish, the System Of A Down frontman identified how “Azerbaijan’s petro-oligarchic dictatorial regime was ravenous 120k folks in Nagorno-Karabagh which is now being known as a Genocide by the previous prosecutor of the Worldwide Prison Courtroom.”
Per Tankian’s publish, he had despatched a “variety letter” to the band by representatives “urging them to rethink” the present. His publish additionally features a change.org petition.
Tankian wrote: “Because the humanitarian disaster worsens in Nagorno-Karabagh with hunger already being recorded I’m pressured to publicize this letter and their disregard for this humanitarian disaster. Perhaps they felt they’d a authorized legal responsibility to play the present, perhaps they only don’t care. My entire life I’ve been an advocate for genocide recognition and have all the time mentioned there must be a value to pay for Genocidal regimes or deniers. One other genocide is looming by Azerbaijan and whereas this occurs they get to get pleasure from an American band from LV. Fuck that! That’s not proper.”
Learn Serj Tankian’s full publish beneath.
Now it must be mentioned.A number of months in the past, it got here to my consideration that Think about Dragons had deliberate a present on Sept 2nd in…
Posted by Serj Tankian on Wednesday, August 16, 2023
In his letter to Think about Dragons, Tankian began off by congratulating the American band on their success up to now. “One of many issues I admire about you as artists is that you simply’re lively proponents of assorted human rights points and social causes. Your work with Amnesty Worldwide and your outspokenness concerning the battle in Ukraine amongst them,” he wrote.
Happening to handle the severity of the state of affairs, and why Think about Dragons ought to cancel the present, Tankian defined: “That is as a result of horrendous human rights violations carried out by the corrupt petro-oligarchic dictatorship of Ilham Aliyev towards not solely his personal folks, however 1000’s of Armenians (my folks). Since 2020, Azerbaijan has created battle towards Armenians, killing 1000’s, displacing tens of 1000’s and terrorizing numerous extra by way of an unlawful blockade that has been ordered to be reopened by the ICJ and the European Courtroom of Human Rights.”
“With the world in a lot turmoil since COVID and the next battle in Ukraine, an excessive amount of of the world continues to be unaware of what’s taking place to Armenians by Aliyev’s regime. They’ve invaded Armenia and have been finishing up heinous human rights violations with impunity. Worldwide occasions and performances by artists have solely served to normalize and whitewash their standing among the many household of countries.”
Serj Tankian wrote in conclusion: “I actually really feel that performing in Azerbaijan would have a unfavorable affect in your model as properly. I’m assured which you could decipher all of the info for yourselves to determine whether or not to cancel your live performance. Both method, I really admire your time and consideration. Thanks for listening to me out and I hope to satisfy you all in the future.”
The change.org petition that Tankian included in his publish additionally emphasises: “Think about Dragons must be made conscious they’re being USED to white-wash the felony & genocidal Aliyev regime of Azerbaijan.”
In September final yr, System Of A Down condemned the “evil aggression” towards their dwelling nation Armenia within the wake of bombings that occurred alongside the nation’s jap border.
The band – all of whom are of Armenian descent – have been on the forefront of campaigning for recognition of the Armenian genocide of 1915, and have continued with their efforts communicate up for the nation amid ongoing unrest.
Again in 2020, System Of A Down launched ‘Shield The Land’ and ‘Genocidal Humanoidz’ in a bid to lift consciousness and funds amid “a dire and severe battle being perpetrated upon [their] cultural homelands”. The pair of singles marked SOAD’s first new materials in 15 years.
