Employees of the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Sports continue to frustrate mountaineering competition (UPDATED)

Previously  it was reported that unknown people cut the rope on a rock near the village of Laza  in Gusar region, where dry-tooling competitions are held.

Despite this , the climbers regained the track, put new ropes and began competition. The first  who passed the track was Firuz Dadashov, but right after that , a few dozen people blocked the venue, and prohibit their continuation.

Although they refused to identify themselves, locals say  they are from the  Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Sport. The unknown  people do not explain  their actions, stating simply that "competition is prohibited."  It is impossible  to get from them other explanation or documents,  Turan was reported  at 14:00 the  members of the Mountaineering Federation, which  has organized these competitions with the participation of foreign sportsmen. -02В-

2013 December 14 (Saturday) 11:38:28

Competition of the Mountaineering Federation for dry-tooling, rock climbing using equipment, were to begin today near the village of Laza. During  the previous two days athletes prepared a track - hung ropes and rocks cleared from danger stones.

However, on Saturday morning , they found  out that last night someone cut the ropes, what  is frank sabotage. This  is an attempt to prevent a competition and a threat to the life of athletes,  Turan was told  in the Mountaineering Federation.

Also, in the morning, up to 10 cars with unknown people  drove to the place  of competition, and  are trying to block the climbers, and prevent their  way to rocks. These same people in the past two days threatened the athletes, making them leave the space.

Locals say  they are the representatives of the Ministry of Environment, but  the Ministry denies it. A district police took a wait and  does not interfere.

"This is a normal sporting event, and nobody  officially forbade  us to  hold it. We require at least show us  some document, which says that you can not climb on the rocks , but none of  them shows  it us," said the representative of the Federation. -02В-

2013 December 13 (Friday) 15:16:14

Baku/13.12.13/Turan : Unknown persons  are trying to prevent an international sporting event , which  is to be held  on 14-15 December by the  Mountaineering Federation of Azerbaijan near the village of Laza  in Gusar region – the competition on climbing on ice and rocks using climbing equipment .

However, for two days , unknown persons in civilian clothes ( some of whom are armed,)   are hampering  the work of the t the representative of the International Mountaineering Federation UİAA, Alexander Klenov, cooking track competitions. Several men armed with a gun, are  threatening a representative  of Federation, Rauf Zeynalov, demand to stop training and  go away.

"In the presence of a major police, a precinct inspector Sahib  Gafarov,  they threatened me with a gun.  the people do not want to introduce themselves. 

The police major does not react to my request to find out who  are these people,"  Rauf Zeynalov  told  Turan on the  phone.

Why  is the police major calmly watching the scene, he refused to explain and hung up correspondent of Turan. Local residents reported that  the unknown  are employees of the Ministry of Environment.

At the request of Turan, a  spokesman  of the Ministry Ecology, Irada Ibrahimova, said that  there are no inspectors of the Ministry of Ecology in the region.

The day before there was an attempt to make pressure  on the climbers through the local municipality, requiring to show the "reference" and to explain the basis on which the event is held. Such written explanation was given, but the pressure on the climbers only intensified.

"The real reason for the desire to disrupt the international competition became the desire to monopolize the Ministry of Ecology climbing as a kind of sport. The  Ministry of Environment has established a few years ago its  federation called FAIREX, and with the  silent  approval of the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs,  it is trying to create intolerable conditions for climbers, and just destroy our Federation as an organization,"  Turan was told by the  vice-president of the Federation, Eldar Jafarov.

The practice of armed pressure on the climbers was first recorded this year in Pakistan, where the Taliban shot 10 members of an international expedition. It is possible that the armed men may be related to religious extremists , which periodically appear in the north  of Azerbaijan. -02В-