Nardaran village, which is located in the outskirts of Baku city has again become in the center of attention for last few days. This village, where the religious and traditional customs and values are deeply rooted, has repeatedly been in the news in different times for the strong and principal standpoint in public/political processes. The population of the village is strongly united and supportive to one another. The incident of gunfire between local citizens and police occurred on the 24-th of January – caused the non-stop rally of the population with the demand to investigate the case and punish the guilty (29-JAN-2006).
Description of the Incident
According to the Turan Information agency, a deadly shootout between policemen and citizens of the village of Nardaran occurred near Imam Ali square on the 24-th of January. The reason of the tragedy was a conflict between Nardaran resident Ilham Guliyev and three policemen. Three intoxicated policemen from Sabunchi Police Office No. 14 began to shoot into the air upon the sight of a group of people on their way to an engagement party. The future groom’s brother Ilham Guliyev tried to stop the policemen, but was slapped in the face by a police captain. Ramiz Hasanov, a village citizen, called on policemen to stop conflict, but police captain Rahimov opened fire and wounded Hasanov in his leg. Ramiz Hasanov left the scene of the incident, but returned with a pistol and shot the policeman in the head. He then opened fire on Lieutenant Ilgar Agayev and a policeman by the name of Akif. The wounded lieutenant shot at Ramiz Hasanov and other citizens of the village, wounding two of them.
Two policemen died on the spot, and Ramiz Hasanov died his way to the hospital. Wounded villagers Ilham Guliyev and Hasan Azimov were taken to Hospital No. 3 (a hospital in Sabunchi). The next day policemen took them from the hospital and their current whereabouts are unknown.
According to village citizens, the above mentioned policemen did not like the village population and blatantly violated their rights. Moreover, the policemen openly threatened to get revenge for the events of June 3, 2002 (on this date a hundred policemen were disgracefully forced out from Nardaran during an attempt to capture the village). Authorities ignored numerous appeals by Nardaran residents to remove these unruly policemen from the village.
Prosecutor Office Blames the Residents in Conflict
On the 27-th of January the General Prosecutor’s Office presented its version of events in the Nardaran District on January 24, which led to the death of two policemen and a local resident. The Prosecutor’s Office claimed that the district’s residents are entirely to blame for the events, because they refused to let police officers enter the district. This refusal precipitated the tragedy, during which Nardaran residents Ramiz Hasanov, Ilham Guliyev, Hasan Azimov, and others used firearms against policemen. A criminal case under articles 120.2.1, 120.2.3. and 120.2.7. (deliberate murder with aggravating circumstances) and 228.2.1 (illegal storage, bearing and usage of firearms) has been instituted. The case is being investigated by the Baku and Sabunchi Prosecutors’ Offices and the investigative department of the Sabunchi Regional Police Station, reported the General Prosecutor’s Office Press Office.
Protest Action
The people of Nardaran decided to hold a protest rally on January 27 aimed at showing their indignation with the policemen’s behavior and the attitudes of authorities. According to authorities, several citizens of the village, former criminals, stopped and shelled a car with two policemen. The authorities did not explain the reason for the incident, but according to the version of Nardaran citizens, the policemen themselves provoked a conflict.
The police did not enter the Nardaran District to disperse a demonstration staged by the local population due to fear about the population’s reaction, despite threats made yesterday by Interior Ministry generals in televised interviews to break up protests. Tens of thousands of Nardaran residents gathered at the district’s central square to express indignation at the policemen’s behavior on January 24, which led to the death of local resident Ramiz Hasanov.
Demonstrators refuted the official version of the events, that local residents provoked a conflict with the police. “We did not disturb anybody- drunk and rude policemen attempted to detain locals without any grounds. Authorities must now fully investigate and assess the conflict, instead of bringing groundless charges against local people,” Nardaran resident Ibragim Khudaverdiyev told. Nardaran residents believe that the ignorance of authorities caused bloody the tragedy. Many demonstrators at the protest also demanded to end the violation of their rights. Nardaran residents, otherwise they promised to begin endless actions of protest.
