"Public Chamber" will hold a protest rally in front of the Milli Mejlis on November 2

"Public Chamber" intends to  hold a picket in front of Azerbaijani parliament on November 2,  at 12:00 to protest the upcoming changes to the law to increase the penalties for violating the rules of holding rallies and pickets.

This decision was  adopted on October 26 at a special meeting of the coordinating council "Public Chamber".

   According to the representative of the coordinating council "Public Chamber", Adalat Yusibov, amendments are restrictive and aimed at the suppression of freedom of assembly in Azerbaijan. The statement of "Public Chamber" draws attention to the fact that the legislation tightens before the presidential elections in Azerbaijan in 2013.

It was noted that the executive power of Baku  have permitted only one place for  the rallies - on the suburbs  of town.

"Public Chamber" strongly condemned the increase in fines for violations of the rules of holding rallies by  50-100 times, and calls  on "to put an end to this disgrace and madness."

The opposition believes that instead of imposing punitive measures the authorities should remove existing restrictions on public rallies, and not to interfere with the  rallies in the  city center.

"Repression and punitive measures will not force people to give up the fight for freedom. The struggle will continue even more seriously and resolutely, "  reads  the statement of the “Public Chamber.”—06D--