Agence France Presse — English
September 23, 2005 Friday 2:57 PM GMT
Azerbaijan police crack down on protest over activist
BAKU
Police in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan violently
disbanded a demonstration Friday where protesters demanded the
release from custody of a youth activist.
Some 40 police officers charged a group of 15 peaceful demonstrators
as they unraveled signs that read “Free Said Nuri,” a leader of the
Yeni Fikir (New Idea) youth protest movement who was arrested and
hospitalized after being questioned earlier this month.
Police were seen punching demonstrators in the chest before the
protestors fled while one man who appeared to be a plain-clothes
security official was seen hitting Razi Nurullayev, a candidate in
upcoming parliamentary elections.
“We tried to use the Georgian method and protest peacefully but they
just charged us” one of the demonstrators, Murad Gassanly said in
reference to the popular revolt that toppled a regime in neighboring
Georgia in 2003.
Demonstrators included members of three protest movements — Yeni
Fikir, Magam and Yokh — which have modeled themselves on groups that
played a lead role in peaceful revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine.
The crackdown comes just before this strategically important oil-rich
nation — sandwiched between Russia and the Middle East — holds
parliamentary elections in November.
“This is very bad for Azeri society because they came for a peaceful
protest,” said Nurullayev, who leads the Yokh opposition youth
movement.
Police who broke up the demonstration refused to identify themselves
or explain their reasons for acting against protestors while Interior
Ministry officials left phones unanswered on Friday.
Nuri was arrested earlier this month for questioning in connection
with alleged plot hatched by the protest movement to overthrow the
Azeri regime.
Two other Yeni Fikir activists have been arrested for anti-government
activity which the authorities allege was backed by Azerbaijan’s foe
Armenia and the Washington-based National Democratic Institute.
Both Armenia — with which Azerbaijan fought a war in the early
1990’s — and the US democracy advocacy group have denied the
allegations.
Nuri was hospitalized two days after his arrest with acute liver
failure in what the opposition said might be a case of police
brutality.
After his hospitalization became public, prosecutors announced they
were not pressing charges against him.
Nevertheless access to the 20-year-old continues to be blocked by a
police detachment over 10 days after his detention.
Azerbaijani law allows for suspects to be held for a maximum of 48
hours without charge.