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This week’s Assignment is a story of heroes and villains in the former Soviet Republic of Azerbaijan. What exactly did convicted murderer Ramil Safarov do to earn hero status in his country? And why has the Azeri government denounced one of the country’s leading writers, Akram Aylisli, as a figure of public hate? And what does all of this say about Azerbaijan’s decades-old grievances towards neighbouring Armenia, its enemy in a recent brutal war. Damien McGuinness reports.

Produced by Ed Butler.

(Image: Azeris still celebrate the birthday of their former president, Heydar Aliyev, who died ten years ago. Â鶹ԼÅÄ Copyright)