Activists in Baku demand to solve Karabakh conflict by force

A rally in Baku has criticized the policy of Azerbaijani authorities in addressing the Karabakh problem and called on the government to launch a military offensive.

The rally, organized by the People's Movement of Azerbaijan (PMA), was held under the slogans: "Liberation of Karabakh, end of the occupation!" and "Either free or leave!"

Mirmakhmud Miralioglu, a member of the PMA Board, who also heads the "Classic" Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (CPFPA), said that activists demand from authorities to take decisive steps to "liberate the occupied territories."

"Can talks go on without results for almost 30 years?" he criticized the work of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Minsk Group.

Ragim Gaziev, a former Azerbaijani Minister of Defence, believes that in order to solve the conflict, "the authorities that express the nation's will are needed."

According to Togrul Djuvarly, a member of the Azerbaijani National Public Committee for European Integration, "the demand to liberate the occupied territories by force is very popular among the population."

"Because of the occupation, for almost 30 years, up to a million people have been in the position of forced migrants ... However, a military operation is not a simple matter ... It's necessary to minimize victims and achieve maximum results within a short time," Mr Djuvarly has noted.