The ruling elite has leveraged the bogeyman of Islamic extremism to cast itself as the guardian of a secular and stable Azerbaijani state to rationalize the adoption of more autocratic policies both domestically and internationally.
Marutyan is looking to position himself as an alternative to both the unpopular government and the mainstream opposition, which is tainted by the corruption of the previous regime.
The warning comes after the country's delegation preemptively quit the Council of Europe's parliamentary assembly and amid worsening diplomatic crises.