Police prevent public meeting

Several thousand (or 1,000 according to government estimates) supporters of the opposition bloc Azadlyg ("Freedom") which unites the People's Front of Azerbaijan party, the Musavat party, and the Democratic Party yesterday tried to hold an unauthorised public meeting in the centre of the capital of Azerbaijan, Baku, demanding free parliamentary elections, Caucasian Knot's correspondent reports.

Participants were trying to move to the Jafar Jabbarly Square down narrow streets from three directions, but police detachments sealed off the approaches to the square. In resulting clashes, according to the People's Front of Azerbaijan, around 100 oppositionists were detained and nine were beaten by the police. Meanwhile, according to the city police department, 42 people were detained and 15 police officers sustained various injuries.

Local clashes continued even after the organisers of the public meeting had announced starting negotiations with government representatives, Caucasian Knot's correspondent reports.

The negotiations were suggested by the authorities for the avoidance of confrontation, according to Interfax.

Fuad Mustafayev, deputy chairman of the People's Front of Azerbaijan party, said, "As a result of the meeting, the authorities promised that all those detained during today's action would be released within an hour."

The parties also reached an agreement on holding another meeting the next week to discuss the routes for demonstrations proposed by the opposition.

• Detained activist released in Azerbaijan
• Police raids party headquarters

More about freedom of assembly in Azerbaijan:

• Human Rights Practices in Azerbaijan - 2004