Committee set up to defend rights of jailed Azeri Karabakh activists
Turan news agency
28 Jun 04
Baku, 28 June: A committee was set up today to protect the rights of
six arrested members of the Karabakh Liberation Organization
[KLO]. Isaxan Asurov, a prominent lawyer, was elected the chairman of
the committee.
Representatives of political parties, human rights organizations, NGOs
and MPs have joined the committee. Asurov said that charges brought
against the arrested members of the KLO were groundless. They are
being charged under Articles 221.3 (hooliganism), 223 (violating
public order) and 315 (putting up resistance to the police) [of the
Criminal Code].
Asurov blamed the authorities for the incident. He believes that the
police could have prevented the protest march towards the hotel,
however, this was not done deliberately. He said that they would
continue their struggle for the release of the arrested men by legal
means.
Members of the KLO protested outside Hotel Europe on 21 June against
the arrival of Armenian servicemen to Baku [to attend a NATO
meeting]. Among the arrested people are KLO activists and KLO Chairman
Akif Nagi.