System Of A Down frontman and political activist Serj Tankian is plenty pissed that Imagine Dragons is playing a show in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Tankian said he feels the show legitimizes the country's oppressive regime and helps to "whitewash" the country's atrocities. Part of the issue stems from Azerbaijan setting up a blockade to the Nagorno-Karabakh region – home to ethnic Armenians – for the past eight months. According to Axios, accusations of genocide against the Azerbaijani regime are circulating as Armenia calls for the U.N. Security Council to intervene.
Tankian has now published an extensive Instagram post, saying he reached out to Imagine Dragons about cancelling their show and received no reply. In part, Tankian's letter to the band read "I really feel that performing in Azerbaijan would have a negative impact on your brand as well. I'm confident that you can decipher all the facts for yourselves to decide whether to cancel your concert."
Tankian has stated he felt forced to publicize his opinions and Imagine Dragons' non-response, saying "Maybe they felt they had a legal liability to play the show, maybe they just don't care."
"Now it has to be said," wrote Tankian.
"A few months ago, it came to my attention that Imagine Dragons had planned a show on Sept 2nd in Baku Azerbaijan. I was sure they were unaware that Azerbaijan's petro-oligarchic dictatorial regime was starving 120k people in Nagorno-Karabagh which is now being called a Genocide by the former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno Ocampo.
"So through representatives, I sent them a kind letter urging them to reconsider playing their show in Azerbaijan as it would help whitewash the dictatorial regime's image there. I included various articles including one by Amnesty Int'l who I was told they have worked with in the past. There was no response. No answer, no response. As the humanitarian crisis worsens in Nagorno-Karabagh with starvation already being recorded I am forced to publicize this letter and their disregard for this humanitarian catastrophe.
"Maybe they felt they had a legal liability to play the show, maybe they just don't care. My whole life I have been an advocate for genocide recognition and have always said there has to be a price to pay for Genocidal regimes or deniers. Another genocide is looming by Azerbaijan and while this happens they get to enjoy an American band from LV. Fuck that! That's not right.
"Go to my profile to sign a petition to the band on change.org if you care to sign and you can see my letter to the band on my Facebook page. Thanks for reading. Serj"
