Surgery Won’t Be Necessary for Azerbaijan President

"His treatment is continuing, and everything is fine," Aliyev’s son, Ilham, told Azeri television.

Tahir Taghi-Zadeh, a political counselor at the Azeri Embassy in Washington, said Aliyev was brought to the Cleveland Clinic for a checkup. But Ilham Aliyev said his father needed treatment in connection with seven ribs he broke when he fell during a speech in April.

"The president’s broken ribs affect his general physical state," said Ilham Aliyev, who on Monday was appointed to the post of prime minister, the country’s second-highest job.

He said his father had ignored doctors’ orders in April by going back to work almost immediately after the fall, which exacerbated his condition.

Asked whether the president needed surgery, Ilham Aliyev said: "If necessary, surgery will be done. However, at the present time, there is no such necessity."