20:59, 2 November 2006

Opposition picket dispersed by police in the capital of Azerbaijan

Today, about a hundred activists of the Party of the People's Front of Azerbaijan held a protest action, which was not sanctioned by the authorities; the place of the action was in direct proximity from the president's office. The protesters demanded to stop the attempts to move the "Azadlyg" newspaper and other mass media out of their building. They also appealed to stop prosecution of independent and opposition media and to observe the liabilities accepted by the government of Azerbaijan before the Council of Europe and OSCE. These claims were also expressed in the resolution adopted by the picketers that was later distributed among journalists.

The participants of the action grouped together and shouted their slogans for several minutes. In response, policemen tried to disperse the group but failed. Then, they detained the most active picketers, put them into cars and brought them into the 9th Police Station of the Sabaylskiy District. Some of the detainees were beaten and insulted by the police.

Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent