Aliyev: They wanted tea in Baku; now they drink it in Azerbaijani prisons

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev addressed the nation on Victory Day at the second Victory Arch in Khankendi and announced that a Victory Museum would open in the city’s former administrative building.

RuskiGazeta Editorial DeskNovember 08, 2026, 05:54 PMUpdated: November 08, 2026, 09:06 PM

Aliyev: They wanted tea in Baku; now they drink it in Azerbaijani prisons

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev addressed the nation on Victory Day, November 8, at the second Victory Arch erected in Khankendi. “This is the second Victory Arch erected in honor of our glorious victory. The first is in Baku, and the second is here, in Khankendi,” he said.

Aliyev recalled that the Victory Museum in Baku, where the names of all martyrs have been commemorated, operates next to the Victory Arch. He said a Victory Museum would also be established in Khankendi, adding that work on its creation was nearing completion. The museum will be housed in the former executive authority building.

The head of state described the building as “the cradle of the policy of aggression and occupation against Azerbaijan” and “a den of evil.” “When I visited this building after our glorious victory in October 2023, the first thing I did was open its windows so that the evil spirit would leave,” Aliyev said, adding that the “war criminals” who occupied the building had received their deserved punishment.

“They wanted to come to Baku on tanks; they wanted to drink tea in Baku. They made arrogant statements because certain patrons protected them, and they believed they could pursue a policy of occupation forever. But we showed them who was who,” Aliyev said. “Today, having received their deserved punishment, they are drinking tea in Azerbaijani prisons,” the president said.

In another video published by the presidential administration, Aliyev recalled that Armenia had built several lines of fortifications in the occupied territories, with six or seven defensive lines in some areas, and that everything had been mined. “The Armenian side was convinced that Azerbaijan would not be able to liberate its lands militarily or that no one would allow us to do so. They were mistaken,” he said, stressing that the national spirit had led the people forward.

Speaking about the war, Aliyev contrasted the two armies: “There was not a single serviceman in the Azerbaijani army who fled the battlefield or deserted. Meanwhile, by the admission of Armenia’s own leadership, there were about 12,000 deserters in the Armenian army. That is the difference.” Concluding his address, the president urged people to remember the price of Victory: “We must be so strong that no one will ever again even think of harming Azerbaijan!”

Aliyev: They wanted tea in Baku; now they drink it in Azerbaijani prisons