NCDF Condemns Police Violence Against Demonstrators On May 28

Baku / 06/01/19 / Turan: The National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) condemned police violence against festive events in the village of Novkhani on May 28.

In a statement distributed on Saturday, it is noted that every year the NCDF celebrates Republic Day at the monument to Mammad Emin Rasulzadeh in Novkhani. However, this time the authorities showed a particularly negative attitude to the festive demonstration of the NCDF. The police for no reason attacked the demonstrators. Eight people, including a member of the NCDF Coordination Council, Tofig Yagublu, were detained and subsequently fined. Dozens of protesters were injured, police pulled out flags from the demonstrators, and several banners were rendered unusable. Police tore the clothes of a number of protesters depicting Mammad Emin Rasulzadeh and with slogans concerning the Azerbaijan People's Republic (APR).

Such behavior is an integral part of the authorities' policy regarding the legacy of the APR. It is aimed at bringing the historical event giving the Azerbaijani people a sense of pride and confidence to oblivion.

"Unfortunately, those who rule Azerbaijan today are engaged not only in plundering the country's wealth, but also in destroying the people's spiritual world, falsifying its past, and damaging historical memory," the statement said.

This was also manifested in police intervention during the processions on the Grief Day on January 20, the National Revival Day on November 17, and the Khojaly Genocide Day on February 26.

Police also attacked the march participants of the Musavat party in Novkhani on May 28. On May 28, the REAL party was not allowed to visit the Obelisk of Independence in Baku at all.

The NCDF condemned "all kinds of power conduct that show no respect for the people," and demanded no more repetition of such incidents.

"The huge funds spent by the ruling regime on cheap shows in order to demonstrate themselves to the world as tolerant, cultural, or modern, are spent in vain due to barbaric methods of dealing with their own people even on holidays, as the authorities negate their own efforts to form a good-looking image by brutal behavior," the NCDF further said.

The behavior of the authorities on May 28 against the demonstrators celebrating the holiday of the Republic showed that "in Azerbaijan, the Republican system exists only in words, and the country is ruled by the family".

The NCDF declares that despite all the hostility from the authorities, the people will continue to celebrate significant events in peaceful rallies. -06B--