Youth rally held in Baku

About 1500 people came to the rally of oppositional youth organizations held in the capital of Azerbaijan.

The Baku Mayoralty sanctioned the rally in the yard of the driving school in the township of Bailovo in the southwest outskirts of Baku. The action brought together about 1500 persons. The young people chanted "Freedom to Karabakh!", "Freedom to political prisoners!", "No to bribes!", "Freedom!" and "Resign!"

Besides, the activists were holding posters reading: "Govt = destroyer", "We want education without bribes", "No to corruption!", "You are not hopeless – hope is in you", and "Freedom to Karabakh!"

Also, they brought a poster: "Turn off your cameras – no interference with private life!", demanding to stop provocations against the journalist Khadidja Ismailova – unidentified persons had placed a video showing her private life on the Internet.

Protesters criticized the government's policy on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. "For 18 years already the ruling regime is running fruitless negotiations. They just imitate the solution of the Karabakh conflict, but in fact, they are engaged in personal enrichment," said Abulfaz Gurbanly, the leader of the youth organization of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan.

Khanym Yadigyarli, the leader of the youth movement "Dalga", focused her attention on problems of education: "We have low-quality education; and the reason for that is in corruption. Therefore, we demand to end bribery at universities and other educational institutions."

Sakhavat Soltanly, the head of the youth organization of the "Musavat" Party, urged the authorities to release all political prisoners.

The rally ended with adoption of the resolution with demands to release political prisoners, ensure the freedom of assembly in the country and eradicate corruption in education.

So far, the Azerbaijani authorities have made no comments on the youth's action and on the statements made by young activists.