In Baku, opposition holds picket amid detentions of activists

In Baku, law enforcers let only 50 people to attend a rally in defence of freedom of assembly. About 20 activists who tried to break through the police cordon were detained, oppositionists report.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) has managed to obtain a sanction for a today's picket with a demand to ensure freedom of assembly.

Today, the police have restricted access to the venue by placing cordons in adjacent streets. Groups of opposition supporters tried to break through the police cordons, and force was used against them. Some activists were detained. One of the female participants, whom the police tried to detain, felt bad, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reported.

Activists who managed to get to the picket place demanded from the Azerbaijani authorities to respect freedom of assembly, not impede peaceful demonstrations, and not prosecute citizens for participating in them.

Fuad Gakhramanly, a member of the NCDF's Coordination Council, condemned the restrictions created for the people who wished to take part in the picket. He noted that the activists were let to enter the square on one side only, one person at a time, and after the police let 50 people through, the passage was closed.

Fuad Gakhramanly believes the action still had a success. "Despite all the countermeasures of the authorities, the obstacles of the police, thousands of people took to the streets to demonstrate their protest against the policies of the authorities and express their solidarity with advocates for freedom," Fuad Gakhramanly said.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 8, 2019 at 05:10 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.