Baku: three families refuse to move out of house defined for demolition

In Baku, on January 13, a confrontation occurred of the workers of the Mayoralty with the three families who refused to move out of the house defined for demolition in the area of Flag Square. The families refused to leave the three-storey building and stood as a "human shield" in front of the excavator.

Senior Officer, Rank II Captain Emil Azizov, one of the protesters, who works at the Naval Academy, said that every family was offered a "ridiculous", according to his story, compensation – 10,000 manats (1 manat = 1.27 US dollars, – note of the "Caucasian Knot"). One of the evicted families is a refugee family.

Azizov said that he had served 30 years for the Navy and never received a flat from the state. "We are forced out; and they give us no housing in exchange. What can you buy a 10,000 manats?" the Contact Online News quotes Mr Azizov as saying.

The families who demand fair compensation refer to the decree of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliev of December 26, 2007, according to which "in case of buy-out of real estate for state needs, the owner shall be paid, apart of the market value, a 20-percent bonus," the "Radio Azadlyg" reports.

At the moment, there is no news about the outcome of the yesterday's confrontation of the three families with the Mayoralty people. The latter made no comment on Azizov's information.