Is a visit of National Council members and the PPFA to the Avenue of Shehids contrary to the law?

On the same day, Sabayil district court heard a case to pass a sentence under articles 513.2 and 513.1 (failure to comply with organization and conduct of action in public spaces) of the Code of the Azerbaijani Republic On Administrative Wrongdoings. As a result, a group persons, including Chairman of the PPFA Ali Kerimli, were illegally fined at big sums and three participants underwent administrative arrest.

Is court"s decision legal?

The Law "Freedom of Assembly" clearly specifies in what cases mass actions should be agreed with appropriate state structures. The Law does not specify any forms of regulating rules of visits to the Avenue of Shehids. No demands of this sort are provided in Article 3 of the "Law On Forms of Assembly" (meetings, demonstrations, marches, pickets).

At the same time, Article 4 of the "Law On Uncontrolled Meetings" provides for festive events, hence, there is no need in agreeing events of this sort.

In the meanwhile, visits to the Avenue of Shehids have never been regulated by appropriate laws. Note that governmental structures have never laid claims of this sort in practice.

For many years various social groups, including the opposition, regularly attend the Avenue of Shehids on public holidays. It is usual for the opposition to attend graves of martyrs without any political consequences. These visits neither consolidate the opposition nor weaken the authorities, so it is very difficult to understand authorities" concern.

From this point of view, the violence against leaders and members of the National Council and unsavoury actions of police against peaceful visitors to the Avenue of Shehids are none other than the breach of law that causes certain questions.

What is the reason of police"s fragrant interference in the action?

All violations of the freedoms and rights of citizens are arranged by the political will of the authorities. Noteworthy are illegal and abusive practices of police bodies agaist the opposition.

For a long period the government of Azerbaijan is seeking to gain the upper hand over society. It is no mere coincidence that starting with 2014 the Azerbaijani government has been humbled to a status of "non-free state" according to"Democracy index".

The analysis is illustrative that the authorities of any country are availing of police as a political instrument of social and political processes. In stirring up an atmosphere of fear in society, the authorities are eager to prevent democratic processes.

Does authorities" attitude toward shehids change?

It was last year"s police foray into actions of the opposition to honor the memory of martyrs of "20 January" and "26 February Hodjaly genocide" and use of force in respect of its participants caused public debates in mass media and press. An impression was that the governmernt was interested in fomenting artificial confrontation.

Even worse, under numerous pretexts the government withold wages to be paid to families of shehids; while the governmental officers openly demonstrate humiliating treatment in respect of gray-haired fathers and mothers of shedis, their widows. For sone reason or other the government is annoyed at opposition"s visiting their graves and attempts not to consign their memory to full oblivion.

On the one hand, the government is concerned about the fact that the opposition does not allow to ignore social groups that arose from the Karabakh issue; on the other hand, the government resorts to violence against the opposition which it cannot remove politically despite repressions.

Is the government apprehensive of sentiments caused by the "National Revival Day"?

Our contemporary history has not much to boast of any successes and national unity. Leery of national unity and collective will of the nation, official circles are getting rattled in front of popular enthusiasm, and try to make society bury these examples in oblivion.

The sociological analysis reaffirms that heightened psycjological spirit caused by "National Revival Day" may set active layers of society on motion, awake faith of the people into their force and finally give a decisive impetus to democrsatic processes. To eliminate the tendency, the government meddles not only in open meetings but even pre-agreed meetings in closed space.

What"s happening inside the authorities?

For some time past, the authorities whose social position in society tends to weaken have become a subject of ridicule die to shameful behavior of its officers and deputies. The whole country has been involved in debates over the issue while traditional relations inside the government have noticeably been disturbed.

For several days the authorities fail to change topics of debates and lead astray the criticism of the government. However, news of the Chairman of the Caucasian Moslems Department Sheikh ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazadeh, former rector of the Baku State University and other senior officials is on parade of social networks.

At the same time, conflicting rumors are afloat about other top officials. Observations are indicative that some groups whose position inside the government tends to weaken are interested in large-scale confrontation in society and mounting of international pressures on the authorities.

Also, it is turning difficult to remove moral erosion inside the government. Incapable of applying civilized political methods, the authorities are engaged in setting police and other law-enforcement bodies against representatives of civil society in an effort to maintain stability in the country.

Illegal detention and bringing Chairman of the PPFA Ali Kerimli to police and an illegal sentence against action participants pursued an aim to draw a veil over tensions inside the government.

Finally, the inquiry into the processes shows that illegal actions of the government against the opposition may stir up greater disturbances in society. In other words, arrests and penalties against oppositionists will neither weaken the opposition nor strengthen the government.

It should be noted that exactly the authorities are likely to suffer from the measures above, especially in terms of new realities in the contemporary international and regional political relations.