Police used tear gas in a bus with detained journalists and activists

During Saturday's protest in Baku against the repression against the people of Ismayilli police detained about 80 people. Among those detained were well-known journalists and civil society activists, in particular, the head of the Legal Education Society Intigam Aliyev, head of Nakhchivan Regional Resource Center for Democracy and NGO Malahat Nasibova and her husband - a human rights activist and journalist Ilgar Nasibov, investigative journalists Khadija Ismayilova and Shahveled Chobanoglu, and bloggers Emin Milli and Zaur Gurbanli. Among those detained were activists of the Popular Front Party, Musavat Party, Civil Solidarity Party, the youth movement Nida (Shout), the civil movement Republican Alternative, and other organizations.

The police acted violently against the detainees, even after they were put on the police bus. So, on the bus, where Malahat and Ilgar Nasibovs and about 30 people, including journalists, even from pro-government media, the police burst tear gas out into the cabin. The bus windows were locked. The driver was told to go quickly. However, as a result of poisoning, he fell sick, and on the way he made an accident, running over a car.

All were brought to the 37th police station of the Khatai district, where they were kept for about 4 hours. Because of the tear gas the detainees became sick and the police had to call an ambulance.

All the detainees were carried to the police stations of the Nasimi, Khatai and Sabail districts. Some of the protesters were released after a verbal warning. But for the most prominent activists there were applied harsh penalties. Thus, the deputy chairman of the Popular Front was accused of organizing the action and fined at 2,000 manat. The investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova was fined in the amount of AZN 400. The blogger Emin Milli was jailed for 15 days. -06B-