Suggesting that the gig would be seen as an endorsement of the country’s authoritarian government, Tankian said he doesn’t “respect [Imagine Dragons] as human beings”.
Tankian had, along with a number of other prominent musicians, signed a letter last year asking the band to cancel their scheduled Baku gig, which ended up going ahead as planned in September.“I don’t believe in depriving our fans who want to see us play because of the acts of their leaders and their governments,” he said. “I think that’s a really slippery slope. I think the second you start to do that, there’s corrupt leaders and warmongers all over the world, and where do you draw the line?”
