Ilham Aliyev

Ilham Aliyev has been the President of Azerbaijan since his father's death in 2003. A member of the KGB, his father dominated Azerbaijani politics for nearly a half-century. When his father was in office, Ilham was vice-president of Azerbaijan's state oil company and he attained a reputation as a playboy. While Ilham was first considered to be a "transitional figure who will ensure a smooth succession", this assessment has proven false since he remains in office.

As president, Ilham has been criticized for restricting the press and the right to protest in the country, and he is also alleged to be affiliated with Mafia figures. A Wikileaks cable compares the president to the Corleone brothers from the Godfather trilogy. While not an Arab country, Azerbaijan witnessed protests alongside the Arab Spring, but they were promptly put down by government forces and hundreds of protestors were arrested.

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