20:50, 12 November 2019

In Baku, opposition rally held amid detentions

The police during the detention of one of the participants of the rally in Baku. Photo by Aziz Karimov for the "Caucasian Knot"

On the eve of a picket organized by the opposition "Musavat" Party, law enforcers detained 12 activists, including a party leader. At least 15 people were detained during the protest action.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 11, Razim Amiraslanly, one of the leaders of the "Musavat" Party, was summoned to the police in Baku, and after that he stopped contacting his relatives and friends. His party colleagues associated the detention of Razim Amiraslanly with the protest action planned for today in Baku.

The Baku authorities refused to sanction to activists of the "Musavat" Party their rallies to be held on November 10. The authorities rejected all of the three places mentioned by the activists in the notification and offered to hold a protest action outside the city. Then the "Musavat" Party announced a picket to be held in front of the Baku City Mayoralty on November 12.

This morning, law enforcers have come to houses of the "Musavat" Party activists and detained them, reported Gulaga Aslanli, the leader of the "Musavat" Party administration.

An hour before the start of the rally, law enforcers started to detain the activists who came to the picket venue. In particular, activists Maia Bairamova and Nushaba Sadygly were detained. "We do not violate the laws, but we exercise the constitutional right to freedom of assembly," Nushaba Sadygly noted.

The police also detained well-known activist Yashar Turkazer and journalist Fatima Movlamly.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on November 12, 2019 at 03:31 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.

Author: Faik Medjid

Source: CK correspondent