18:08, 18 October 2013

Police disperses picket in support of Zeinalov held in front of the Russian Embassy in Baku

In Azerbaijan, the police have suppressed an attempt to hold a demonstration outside the building of the Russian Embassy in Baku. The crowd protested against the ill-treatment of Orhan Zeinalov, a native Azerbaijan, suspected of killing a Muscovite.

The protesters were the activists of the "International Diaspora Centre". "Agents of the Moscow SOBR (Russian version of SWAT – Special Weapons Assault Team) treated Zeinalov rudely during detention and violated his human rights," the protesters said.

They shouted out: "Azerbaijanis treats Russia as their second home!", "Russia, respect the rule of law!", "Russian-Azerbaijani relations must be protected!" and called on the Russian authorities to respect human rights.

Employees of Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) of Azerbaijan dispersed the demonstrators and did not allow continuing the picket, the "News-Azerbaijan" reports.

However, the picketers managed to read out a resolution condemning the actions of Russia's law enforcers during Zeinalov's detention. Ismail Agaev, the chairman of the "International Diaspora Centre" said that an incident of domestic violence that occurred in Moscow is used in Russia for kindling an anti-Azerbaijani campaign.