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The editor-in-chief of opposition´s daily “Baki khabar” Aydin Guliyev was kidnapped on 17 July by some unknown persons in mask. Reportedly, he was heavily beaten up and later released. (19 July 2004)

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted a note to the Foreign Ministry of Republic of Azerbaijan concerning the latest attacks upon Norwegian Ambassador to Azerbaijan Steinar Gil. (17-JULY-2004)

After the disputed presidential elections of last October, the Norwegian Ambassador to Republic of Azerbaijan Steinar Gil has faced vicious attack from pro-government media, government officials and parliamentary deputies of the ruling New Republic of Azerbaijan Party, as a result of his open support for democracy, human rights and tortured opposition figures. (16 July 2004)

Azerbaijan’s main opposition Musavat (Equality) party demanded in a statement issued last Saturday that new presidential elections be held in the country. (15 July 2004)

Following the Azerbaijan´s fraud presidential election of last fall hundreds of opposition party activists were arrested or tortured, while some have left the country due to unbearable pressures and persecutions because of the political views. The seven opposition leaders, who are among these arrested people, went on hunger strike Tuesday. (13 July 2004)

The Federation of Azerbaijan’s Human Rights Organizations, which includes 6 prominent human rights organizations, on Thursday expressed dismay over the authorities’ forcible eviction of the Juma mosque congregation from the mosque of the same name.

As a result of the treaty reached between the Russian Federation and Islamic Republic of Iran in 1828 Azerbaijan has been separated in two parts; the North and South Republic of Azerbaijan. The North part used to be controlled by the Russian Federation, while the South still remains under the rule of the islamic Republic of Iran. Currently, Azeri origin people constitute one fourth of the entire population of Islamic Republic of Iran. There are nearly 30 million Azeris living in the north of Islamic Republic of Iran bordering on Republic of Azerbaijan. (12 July 2004)

Opposition activists, who have been refusing food in Azerbaijan’s autonomous republic of Nakhchivan since June 21, called off the hunger-strike on Wednesday, Baku’s Russian-language daily newspaper Zerkalo reported. (8 July 2004)

Congregants of Baku´s Juma mosque are refusing to pray together with a new imam appointed by the Caucasus Muslims´ Office (QMI) in protest of the forcible evection of the Juma mosque congregation from the building on Wednesday. (03 JUNE 2004)