Azeri pressure group warns rights activists against “serving” Armenians

Azadliq, Baku
12 Nov 04

Text of unattributed report by Azerbaijani newspaper Azadliq on
12 November headlined “The KLO blames human rights activists for
serving Armenians”

The Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) has started fighting
numerous human rights organizations. KLO chairman Akif Nagi has
accused some human rights organizations, including the head of the
[Azerbaijani] National Committee of the Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly,
Arzu Abdullayeva, of serving the Armenians and has issued a final
warning to them.

“Abdullayeva, who is carrying out Armenians’ political task in
Azerbaijan, should leave the country. From now on, she is responsible
for any unpleasant incident that happens to her. There are people
who assist her in this issue. Arzu Abdullayeva, Zardust Alizada,
Eldar Zeynalov and Avaz Hasanov are dealing a blow to the country’s
interests in order to get grants.”

Nagi said that they had sent letters to these human rights activists,
demanding that they stop their activities.

“The KLO will take more radical steps if they do not satisfy our
demand. We will make their life and work unbearable.”

Arzu Abdullayeva said that she will not fulfil the KLO’s demands. As
far as her departure from the country is concerned, she said that
she had done nothing wrong to be expelled from the country by Nagi.

[In Tbilisi, Azerbaijani, Georgian and Armenian human rights activists
reached an agreement to set up a consortium of NGOs aimed at restoring
peace in the South Caucasus; Abdullayeva is a member of the group
of South Caucasus human rights activists who plan to organize peace
classes for Karabakh war victims.]