Picket of "Musavat" Party dispersed in the capital of Azerbaijan

Today, activists of the "Musavat" Party made an attempt to hold a picket in front of Baku Mayoralty with a demand to ensure the freedom of assembly. However, strengthened police units have stopped the protesters from getting close to the Mayoralty building.

Policemen started detaining participants of the action who were gathering at about midday near the metro station "Icheri Shekher", and putting them into minivans taken off from city routes.

Eight persons were detained, including Arif Gadjily, head of the Party's central office. Some minutes later, two young men appeared shouting: "Resignation!", "Down with clan regime!" People in civilian clothes detained them, and pushed into a minivan, where the young men were severely beaten. The agents tried to block photo and video cameras and pushed journalists and reporters away, preventing them from recording the incidents.

The resolution of the picket comprised demands to ensure the freedom of assembly, create proper conditions for holding mass actions during the pre-election period, and to force the Mayoralty to respond to applications submitted by the "Musavat" on holding marches and rallies in compliance with the law.

The detainees were brought to Station No. 9 of the Sabail District Police Branch. One of them - Mustafa Gadjibeili, leader of the Khatain District organization of the "Musavat" Party, - told by telephone to the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent that 13 persons were taken to the Station. Twelve of them were Party members, and one more was an occasional passer-by who filmed the event to his amateur video camera.