Tens of activists were arrested and heavily beaten by police Sunday 9th of October . According to TURAN 12 journalists when among the injured. The Norwegian Ambassador Steinar Gil, said to the News Agency AP that the police exaggerated their reaction. (10-OCT-05)
According to Turan News Agency more than 12 journalists were injured during the police action in Sahil Park the 9th of October, despite the fact that they identified themselves clearly as representatives from the media. The journalist Idrak Abbasov is still in hospital, and his colleagues are not allowed to visit him.
Protest letter from the emerging Human Rights House in Baku
Read the protest letter from the Azeri NGOs where they appeal to the international community to raise their voices concerning the situation in Azerbaijan.
Planned reaction
According to TURAN the clashes between the Azadlig Electoral Bloc´s rally started in the downown of Baku at 16.00. Police and peopke in civil dress brutally beat the demostrators in Khagani Street near Landmark Trade Center. Tens of people were beaten with clubs and steel handles.
Ali Kerimli thinks the provocation close to the Narimanov subway station, had been planned by the police Iron bars and bottles of Molotov cocktail had been brought to the sub way station where activists had planned to gather before the demonstration. According to Mr. Kerimli the actions of protest will continued, but the exact date of Azadlig Bloc´s next rally had not been appointed yet. According to the Norwegian Ambassador Steinar Gil (left), the demonstrators could not be seen as any threats and a violent reaction was therefore not necessary.
Rejection of medical treatment
According to Ali Kerimli fifty-two members of the Popular Front Party (PFPA) were detained during the rally of Azadlig Electoral Bloc. Twenty-seven of them were seriously injured, Ali Kerimli, Chairman of PFPA stated in a press conference. The Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Liberal Party (LPA), Avez Temirkhan added that 23 members of LPA had been detained during the action. It is unknown how many people who is still in detention. The official number of detained is 28. Baku mail Police Department reports that about 400 people took part in the demonstration and that 11 policemen have been injure in the clashes. Mr. Kerimli said that ambulances refused to take the wounded to hospital several times. In hospital, the doctors also rejected to provide medical aid to the opposition members, which, in his opinion, was an order of the officials.
Prepared for negotiation
The leaders of the Azadliq bloc insist on holding rallies in the center of the city. “We were prepared for negotiations with authorities, but we will not abandon the idea to hold a rally,” Mr. Kerimli said to EurasiaNet on October 3.
Difficult dialogue
An OSCE report issued September 30 complained that Azerbaijani authorities were not acting on OSCE recommendations for improving the election process. Mediators appear to be losing hope that a dialogue between authorities and opposition leaders can be resumed. “The OSCE will spare no efforts to arrange meetings. We tried to eliminate the likelihood of the 25 September confrontation in Baku once again,” said Pavesi, the OSCE Ambassador in Baku, commenting on the failed talks that preceded the October 1 protest. “Regrettably, we did not manage it and the government did not understand the problem. The OSCE mission chief stated that while some of the routes proposed by the opposition for a demonstration in central Baku October 1. were problematic, others could have served as the topic of further discussion. Ali Hasanov, the presidential aide, maintained that the opposition could stage demonstrations only in places assigned by the mayor´s office. “The number of such places is limited and we are not going to discuss other routes”, Hasanov said.
List og injured journalists
Among the injured journalist were: Idrak Abbasov from the Ayna-Zerkalo newspaper, Elbrus Seyfullayev from AzerPress News Agency – beaten by a police Major, Mahabbat Orudjev from Yeni Musavat, Afghan Mukhtarov, a photographer from Yeni Musavat, Tofik Yagublu from Yeni Musavat, Rasul Mirhashimli from Uch Nogta, Orkhan Aslanov from ANS, Ramiz Najafli, Editor-in-Chief of Boz Gurd, Anar Shukurov from Leader TV, Elman Maliyev from Express member of the Council of Press Monitoring Group, Sarvan Rizvanov from Turan News Agency, member of the Council of Press Monitoring Group, Ibrahim Mamedov, Head of the Council of Press Monitoring Group.
