Opposition: number of Baku detainees exceeds 60

According to opposition parties, before and during the protest action in Baku the police detained more than 60 persons.

Activists of opposition organizations had announced the action in Fountain Square in central Baku through the group "Dissolve Parliament-2", created in the Facebook. The political support of the action was expressed by the Civil Movement for Democracy "Public Chamber" (GMDPC). The Baku authorities refused to sanction the action.

According to opposition parties, a few hours before the start of the action "preventive detentions" were made with aim to disrupt the action.

From the morning on November 17, Fountain Square and the surrounding streets were taken under police surveillance.

Around 3:00 p.m., small groups of protesters tried to penetrate Fountain Square from different directions; they were from the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA) and the "Musavat" and their youth wings.

They chanted: "Dissolve Parliament!", "Freedom!", "Resign!", "No to fines!" (They expressed protest against a great increase of fines imposed for violating the regulations on demonstrations, – note of the "Caucasian Knot") and held posters with respective inscriptions. The posters carried the number 49 circled with paint – the article of the Constitution, which guarantees the freedom of assembly.

As soon as the demonstrators entered the square, policemen and soldiers of the rapid response regiment of the MIA began arresting the protesters, using force against them and pulling out their posters. Some policemen used rubber truncheons against activists.

Other groups of protesters who came to Fountain Square from the side of the Central Department Store and the movie theatre "Azerbaijan" were detained similarly.

According to the opposition, the total number of detainees, together with those who had been detained at the access to the square was over 60.

The press services of the MIA and the Chief Department of the Police of Baku refrain from citing the number of detainees, motivating the suppression of action by the fact that it was not sanctioned by city authorities.