Committee to Protect the Rights of Guliyev requests for international support

Return to the country of Rasul Guliyev, the leader of the Open Society, after a  long political exile is very important and necessary to make every effort to do so. This was the leitmotif of today's roundtable organized by the Committee to Protect Guliyev.

The parliament speaker Rasul Guliyev resigned and left the country in 1996, after he had serious differences with Heydar Aliyev. Subsequently, he sharply criticized the government  of Aliyev, accusing him of corruption and usurpation of power. In 2005, he made an attempt to return to the country, but the government blocked the airport and actually imposed a state of emergency, being ready to arrest Guliyev.

"The rights of  Guliyev  are  being violated, he is entitled to return to the country, and if it is necessary to appear in the court,"- said a member of the Public Chamber, and former member of parliament, Ibrahim Ibrahimli.

The representatives of several opposition parties and public figures have advanced the thesis of the need for joint efforts to deal with the regime in the upcoming presidential election.

"Ayaz Mutalibov refused political ambitions, Isa Gambar is  not allowed to visit regions, Ali Kerimli can not go to foreign countries, and Rasul Guliyev is not allowed into the country. To  resist  this illegality, the opposition must unite," said the founder of the Open Society Party, Talat Aliyev.

The head of the party Sulhaddin Akbar told about the unification  of  numerous social and political forces, human rights activists and intellectuals in the protection of Rasul Guliyev’s rights. As part of the collection of signatures, thousands of votes  have been  collected in favor of  Guliyev’s return, he said.

"As long as the opposition is not united,  and there is not socio-political movement in the country,  there will not support from  people and the international community," said Akbar.

In conclusion, on behalf of the participants of the meeting, a letter to the Human Rights Committee OONT, the European Union, the OSCE, PACE, the embassy in Baku was adopted. The document was signed by 40 socio-political organizations of the country.

"The return of Rasul Guliyev, who has a great authority and influence in the country, and  his participation in the presidential elections, , would help to create an atmosphere of democratic election, would have a positive impact on the formation of a legitimate government,"  reads the appeal. -03C-