The National Council canceled a rally on September 24 because of the provocation of the authorities
Baku/19.09.16/Turan: The National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) refused to hold a rally scheduled for September 24 rally against the referendum on amendments to Azerbaijani Constitution, according to the NCDF-member Eldaniz Guliyev. According to him, the reason for the cancellation of the rally became arbitrary arrest of protesters on 17 September.
Because the authorities detain even the participants of authorized rallies we cannot talk about guaranteed freedom. In order to avoid the arrests of innocent people, the rally is canceled, he said.
In turn, in a statement of the NCDF says that "illegal and violent actions against participants in peaceful rallies confirm the full legitimacy of the referendum." The Azerbaijani authorities have made numerous illegal actions against participants in rallies on 11 and 17 September, tried to disrupt the agreed rally, prevented its members.
Before the rally were detained 86 activists of the PPFA, and the roads leading in Baku were blocked the rally on 17 September in the country. Despite these obstacles, the rallies were held on a high level. "Thousands of people, despite the heavy rain, gathered in the square and said "no" to plans to legalize the monarchy," reads the statement.
After the rally the police and people in civilian clothes made provocations , beat and arrested dozens of people. This was done in order to intimidate people and prevent the new rallies.
The authorities have admitted that there is no freedom of assembly in Azerbaijan. The process of amending the Constitution is carried out in the absence of competition, discussion and protest opportunities. This shows that the referendum on September 26will be held in an atmosphere of violation of basic rights. "In view of the contradictions to the Constitution, the referendum could not initially be legitimate, and the break of peace and authorized rallies by means of violence once again confirmed it," reads the statement of the NCDF. --06D--
Politics
-
The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OPHRD), a joint program of the World Organization against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), has called for the urgent release of activist Rufat Safarov from prison in Azerbaijan. It has launched a campaign in support of the Azerbaijani human rights defender. https://www.omct.org/en/resources/urgent-interventions/arbitrary-detention-and-judicial-harassment-against-rufat-safarov
-
This year, the laureate of the annual Nargiz Prize, awarded for efforts in the fight for democracy, was Akif Gurbanov, chairman of the board of the Resplatforma (Platform of the III Republic) movement, who is under arrest.
-
The U.S. will prohibit the issuing of visas for nearly a dozen more individuals responsible for undermining democracy in Georgia, bringing the total number to over 100, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.
-
The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, has expressed condolences to the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, following the tragic incident in the city of Magdeburg. "We are deeply shocked by the news of the deaths and injuries resulting from the tragic incident that took place at the Christmas market in Magdeburg," the message reads.
Leave a review