Azeri authorities use youth leader row to “discredit” democratic forces

Turan news agency
11 Aug 05

BAKU

The authorities are using the row involving [leader of the Yeni Fikir
youth movement who is charged with plotting to overthrow the
government] Ruslan Basirli to discredit the democratic youth
movement. This opinion was voiced during a round table organized today
by the human rights centre, Free Society.

The head of the centre and a former “October prisoner” [reference to a
group of people imprisoned in the aftermath of street clashes after
the 2003 presidential election], Kanan Haciakbar oglu, said the
authorities and the media subordinated to them were trying to portray
Basirli as someone representing the opposition youth in general. The
meeting participants expressed their regret with Basirli’s actions and
described them as “erroneous and faulty”.

The meeting participants, who represented youth bodies of opposition
parties and youth organizations, accused the authorities and
pro-government media of being insincere and pseudo-patriotic.

It was indicated that the authorities had imprisoned the activists of
the Karabakh Liberation Organization (KLO) who took part in the
rallies condemning the arrival of Armenian officers in Baku [in 2004]
and deprived 21 people (“Karabakh guerrillas”) of liberty for
intending to fight for the liberation of Karabakh.

The round table participants said that if the smear campaign against
the youth movement continued, democratic forces would stage protests
outside the headquarters of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party.