Azerbaijan president Ilham Aliyev under pressure to usher in democratic reforms Hugely popular after winning the war with Armenia, western diplomats are trying to persuade the strongman that now is the time for change 26 July 2021 • 6:00am Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev gestures as he addresses the nation in Baku, Azerbaijan, during a televised address Credit: Azerbaijani Presidential Press Office Azerbaijan's strongman leader is facing pressure to usher in a new era of democratic reforms after his victory in last year's bloody war against Armenia over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. President Ilham Aliyev, ruler of the central Asian republic for nearly 20 years, has enjoyed a surge in support thanks to the conflict, which saw large areas of Karabakh returned to Azerbaijani control.