Documents of the movement "The Public Chamber" confiscated during search in the headquarters of "Musavat" party

During the search carried out by the personnel of Public prosecutor's office of Baku on April, 26, in the headquarters of "Musavat" party all the documents connected with the activities of civil movement for democracy "The Public Chamber" (CMDPC) were confiscated. 

It should be reminded that the search was done within the framework of investigation of a criminal case on an unauthorized action organized by CMDPC in Baku on April, 2. 

Gulaga Aslanli, representative of CMDPC, reported that the search had lasted about three hours and finished in the evening of April, 26. "We produced all the requested documents", Aslanli said. 

In particular, according to him, the investigative group impounded statements, resolutions and a number of other organizational documents of CMDPC. "It seems strange for there has been nothing secret there and all the documents were published in mass media or posted on the Net", Aslanli said. 

He considers the search unfounded and illegal. "The sanction of Sabail district court for this search is unlawful. We, representatives of CMDPC, had not been summoned to court or explained the reasons of sanctioning this search by the court. Besides, the personnel of Public prosecutor's office confiscated a number of documents without leaving us their copies", Aslanli remarks. He supposes that certain changes might be made to the documents which would completely alter their sense.  

Aslanli thinks that the sanction of the court and the search itself should be estimated as a political pressure upon CMDPC and "Musavat" party.

Panah Gusein, member of Coordinating Council of CMDPC also considers the search as an "act of repression of the authorities against the opposition". In his opinion, "these attacks and pressure were caused by the authorities' fear of activization of the society". 

"Musavat" party itself also condemned "such methods of the authorities' struggle against their opponents". "No repressions or pressure will make people give up their struggle for the sake of freedom", the statement of the party runs. "Musaavat" also demanded to release the arrested participants of the action of April, 2, immediately and stop criminal proceedings against them.

Law enforcement bodies provide no comments on the results of the search. Public prosecutor's office of the capital just stated that the search had been carried out in connection with investigation of the criminal case on the unauthorized meeting of April, 2, and had been sanctioned by the court. 

Earlier, the Azerbaijani Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD) condemned the search in the headquarters of one of the leading oppositional parties of Azerbaijan and estimated it as one more link in the chain of the authorities' political repression against their opponents.