Oppositionists cancel their action in Baku scheduled for April 28

The executive authorities of Baku said NO to the notification of the Advisory Majlis of Democratic Forces (AMDF) about the action on April 28 with a demand to hold free presidential election, which was scheduled in one of three places offered by this oppositional association; instead it was offered to hold the event in the outskirts of the city. Activists of the AMDF have regarded the refusal as a violation of the freedom of assembly and postponed the rally.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on April 16 the AMDF sent a notification to the city authorities with a proposal to sanction a rally demanding free elections on April 28 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in one of the following three places: in the square in front of the Cinema "Tabriz" in the township "Eighth Kilometre"; in front of the metro station "Darnagul" in the 7th Micro-District; and at the site near the home of celebrations "Gyzyl Tadj" in the 4th Micro-District.

The response of the Baku Mayoralty received by the organizers of the action in the evening on April 25 states the impossibility to hold a rally in the specified locations because of the "traffic intensity."

The letter of the Mayoralty suggests holding the rally on the ground of the driver's school in the oilfield area "20th Section" in the south-western outskirt of Baku.

Sulkhaddin Akper, the head of the "Open Society" Party (OSP), which is a party to the AMDF, has treated the Mayoralty's answer as a violation of the Constitution, which provides for the notifying and not permissive system of holding demonstrations.

On the other hand, as he continued, the places suggested by the AMDF for the rally were chosen from among 11 areas identified by the executive body for holding demonstrations in different parts of the city.

"However, for the past eight years in a row, the city authorities suggest the ground of the driver's school in the remote outskirt. Therefore, holding a rally in thinly populated location near the enterprises makes no sense," said Sulkhaddin Akper.