AZERI AUTHORITIES REPORTEDLY SEIZING ARMS IN DISTRICTS BORDERING ON ARMENIA

Azadliq
March 26 2008
Azerbaijan

Residents of Azerbaijani districts bordering on Armenia are seriously
concerned about the law-enforcement agencies seizing arms from local
residents, the Azerbaijani opposition newspaper Azadliq reported on
26 March.

"Officers of the law-enforcement agencies say that an instruction
to this effect has been issued by ruling circles. Therefore, the
arms should be handed over no matter what people say. Citizens are
seriously concerned about this kind of disarmament operation… They
think that… by disarming people, some forces want to leave people
in a helpless situation before the Armenians," Azadliq quoted local
residents as saying.

The newspaper added that people are being disarmed on a mass scale in
Gadabay, Daskasan, Goranboy, Tovuz, Agstafa and Qazax districts, and
this is being done by means of house-to-house search operations. Some
citizens have had to carry their arms to the woods, mountains and
ravines, Azadliq said.

Azadliq added that it is not clear why people who are targeted by
the enemy all the time are being disarmed.

The newspaper quoted local residents as saying that the problem was
not about undocumented arms, but about hunting guns that have legal
permits issued by the state.

"Those living in border districts have appealed to the country’s
leadership to end such operations. They say if the authorities think
that hunting rifles may be useful during elections, then let the
weapons be re-registered. However, this is still not taking place. By
seizing weapons from ordinary people, the law-enforcement agencies
are leaving them in a helpless situation before the Armenians. It is
difficult to anything about the aims of this operation," Azadliq added.