Azeri opposition party pickets US embassy over Armenian MPs’ visit to Baku

ANS TV, Baku
19 Oct 04

[Presenter] An anti-Armenian protest action has been staged in
Baku. The United People’s Front of Azerbaijan Party [UPFAP] staged the
action protesting against a visit by Armenian MPs to Baku for the
Rose-Roth seminar of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly. The protest action
was held outside the US embassy in Baku.

[Correspondent, over video of the action] The UPFAP continues its
protest actions against the [planned] involvement of Armenian MPs in
the 58th Rose-Roth seminar of NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly due in
Baku. Members of the party picketed the US embassy in Baku today.

The protesters demanded that an end be put to pressure on Azerbaijan
to ensure the participation of the Armenian MPs in the Rose-Roth
seminar and to unfair attitudes towards the Azerbaijani people. They
demanded that pressure be put not on Azerbaijan which was subjected to
aggression but on aggressor Armenia instead.

To recap, the UPFAP sent a letter to the Baku mayor’s office to get
permission to hold a series of protest actions. However, the mayor’s
office did not authorize the actions. The party members are set to
continue their pickets. Another picket protesting against the visit
by Armenian MPs to Baku will be held outside the Azerbaijani Foreign
Ministry on 26 October. Moreover, the party members will stage pickets
outside embassies of numerous NATO member countries.

[Passage omitted: reported details]

[Video showed protesters chanting Karabakh outside the embassy, police
officers dispersing the picket]

Ceyhun Asgarov, Emil Babaxanov, ANS.