The police in Azerbaijan dispersed an action of protest near the building of district executive authority in Guba

The police dispersed the participants of an action in front of the building of executive authority in Guba district of Azerbaijan. The number of detainees makes about 200. However, disturbances are going on. The protesters burned down the house of Rauf Khabibov, Head of executive authority, and demand release of those detained.

It should be reminded that up to ten thousand people gathered in front of the building of executive authority of Guba (170 km distance to the North of Baku) this morning. According to unofficial information, they demanded Rauf Khabibov's resignation in connection with a video posted on the Net several days ago where Khabibov pressed a number of charges against the residents of Guba.

The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent started for Guba and met a motorcade of ten trucks with soldiers of inner troops on the way. Ten units of different armor, including an armored troop carrier, a landing cavalry fighting vehicle and water cannon trucks are also following in the direction of Guba.

The participants of the action in Guba set fire to subsidiary constructions, a chaikhana and broke the window glasses in the building of district Administration. At the moment the fire has been extinguished, "APA" agency reports.

There is also an information that the participants of the action burned down Rauf Khabibov's house opposite the Olympic sports complex of Guba. Residents of the district state that the house was built on account of the money allotted for construction of the sports center and costs one and a half million dollars.

After the beginning of the action Khabibov went out to the people and presented apologies to the residents of Guba but the meeting of protest went on and then the inner troops were ordered to use force and tear gas. Some participants of the action were detained and are currently in Guba police department, "Novosti-Azerbaijan" media agency reports.

According to the latest information, riot squad of inner troops is being redeployed to Guba and local residents have blocked the entrance to the town of Guba and do not let the vehicles in. The police have taken over special control of Baku-Guba highway beginning from Sumgait.

There appear reports from Guba itself that the protesters demand to deliver up Head of executive authority to them, otherwise they threaten to set fire to all the state offices in Guba.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev arrived in his President's palace in the morning and, according to unofficial information, is holding a conference with power ministers on the situation in Guba, "Contact online news" reports.