�Football match is just a reason�

Baku/24.05.19/Turan: The event of the party ReAL scheduled for May 26 was not authorized, the member of the Mejlis, Azer Gasimly, informed Raio Azadlig about this. According to him, ReAL members were preparing to celebrate the 101st anniversary of the Republic by laying flowers at the monument to Istiglaliyyat. However, today the party"s chairman, Ilgar Mamedov, was invited to the Baku Main Police Department. There he was told about the inexpediency of holding a rally in the city center due to the security measures of the final match of the Europa League, which will be held in Baku on May 29. Employees of the State Unitary Enterprise recommended Novkhani village for the action. Prior to this, ReAL planned to hold the event on May 28, but for a similar reason the visit to the monument was postponed to May 26.

According to Azer Gasimly, the authorities use the Europa League final match in Baku as a reason to prevent holding actions in the city center. The politician said that to prove it is very easy. "The ceremony of laying flowers to the monument will not take place on the same day as the match. And then it is too far from the stadium where the game will take place. Police linking the ban with security measures. But I don"t believe that on the 28th of May, some fan made a fight in front of the monument of Istiglaliyyat. There is not even a "pub" there, it"s just a reason. "

The reason for the ban is that for many years the Republic Day was celebrated not in the center of Baku, but in the village of Novkhani. "Indeed, there is not a single monument to Mamed Emin Rasulzade in the center of the city, because they do not want hilding the events in the center, but on the outskirts of the city. This rule worked until last year. Last year, ReAL and representatives of civil society held a march in the center of the city in connection with the 100th anniversary of the Republic. As a result, 5 people were arrested administratively. The authorities no longer wish to repeat this, therefore they recommend Novkhani to them. "

National Council Chairman Jamil Hasanli believes that this is a violation of freedom of assembly. "This is just a commemoration event in connection with the anniversary of the Republic of Azerbaijan. It is absolutely unreasonable to link this type of event with international tournaments held in Baku. This is not respecting the memory of the Republic." Hasanli described the prevention of the event as limiting the activities of political parties with the use of their resources by the authorities.

Lawyer Samira Agayeva claimed Radio Azadlig that a ban on visiting the monument is contrary to freedom of assembly. "This is a violation of the right to unite as reflected in the Constitution, as well as Article 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Protection of Fundamental Freedoms. The European Court has hundreds of cases of this type related to Azerbaijan. Many decisions have already been made. Azerbaijan was fined for violating freedom of association."

Urn failed to get information from the Baku Main Police Department.--0--