On 23 October supporters of the opposition protested simultaneously in three Baku venues. This was the 4th such protest in a month. The peculiar feature of this action was the police’s relative lack of aggressiveness and violence toward the protesters. Still, over 150 protesters were detained, including the candidates to Parliament, though the majority of them were released the same day (25-OCT-2005).
The most serious clash between the police and protests was recorded near Narimanov metro station. The big group of protesters got active at the arrival of one of the leaders of Azadlig bloc ? Ali Kerimli, which irritated police and they took active measures to disperse the crowd. A few people got injuries during the clash.
The protest actions at other two places ? Metro station 28 May and downtown area close to Nasimi memorial went without any serious clash. There were about 50 people detained in the area. The protest action was monitored by the representatives of Human Rights House, Monitoring Group of Human Rights Organizations of CE, OSCE ODIHR and other international organizations.
Further protests actions
Regardless of the negative sanction of authorities the opposition bloc ?Azadlig? intends to continue the conduct of protest actions for free and democratic elections. The next action of opposition will take place on October 30 and a rally-concert will take place on November 4.
Besides, the regional branches of the parties of opposition bloc ?Azadlig? plan to hold a series of protest actions at the end of October and beginning of November in a number of regions of Azerbaijan. As a matter of fact, all the attempts to rallies in the regions were prevented by regional authorities up to now.
When will Rasul Guliyev Return to Baku?
On the 25-th of October the leader of Democratic party Rasul Guliyev had a telephone connection with party members from London and said that he decided to return to Azerbaijan on the 1-2 of November. . Guliyev said that the goal of his comeback to the republic is not to run for elections, but to save people from the ruling regime. Guliyev did not say how he is going to return. He urged his supporters not to make mistakes similar to those on October 17 and arrive in the airport to welcome him.
Gurban Mamedov, Democratic party?s political council member, said Guliyev?s backers and Democratic party?s members would better gather at the squares and streets, than in the airport. Only leaders of Azadlig bloc and representatives of intelligentsia could go to airport.
As to the events of October 17 Guliyev refuted the information of the authorities to return to Baku because of the threat of arrest. “I made everything for return, but the authorities did not allow it,” Guliyev said. According to Guliyev, neighboring Georgia also did not allow landing of his charter plane.
Calls for Boycott
On the 24-th of October the intelligentsia movement AMAL has urged electoral blocs Azadlig (Liberty), Milli Birlik (National Unity) and YeS (New Policy) to boycott parliamentary elections.
The movement claims that Azerbaijani authorities are going to falsify elections and are ready to brutally suppress mass protests. Movement criticizes the wait-and-see policy of U.S., the Russian Federation and Turkey with respect to Azerbaijani authorities? actions.
