In Azerbaijan, members of "Musavat" suffer from physical pressure

Today in the afternoon, activists of the opposition party "Musavat" were subjected to physical pressure in the city of Barda, 300 kilometres off the capital of Azerbaijan. The MP Ikram Israfil, Arif Gadjily, head of the central office and electoral headquarters of the "Musavat", and journalist Mustafa Gadjibeili came there to meet local party activists in connection with preparation for municipal elections.

The meeting was to take place in one of local tea-houses (popular pubs in Azerbaijan, where people have tea and discuss their everyday, business and political problems, or just talk to each other, - comment of the "Caucasian Knot"); however, the visitors were attacked by a group of 15-20 persons.

"We recognized workers of the district executive authority among them. They began pushing us and stroke several blows on the heads, demanding to leave the district," Mr Gadjibeili said in his telephone conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

For about one hour the "Musavat" activists, who had arrived from Baku, were surrounded by those people.

"Only due to selflessness of local 'Musavat' activists we managed to get out of the circle of those aggressive persons who tried to take away our documents," said Gadjibeili.

When asked about any police actions in the context of the attack on the MP and his colleagues, Gadjibeili said that one policeman, who presented himself as an employee of the criminal investigation department, appeared at the venue; but he did nothing to defend the oppositionists.

"We all three feel pain in the area of the head and body. But we had not time yet to address for medical aid," Mustafa Gadjibeili said by phone.

The attempts of the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent to get any comments by phone from the administrations and police departments of the Barda and Evlakh Districts had no results.