Quarantine regime: protests are limited

Baku/24.05.21/Turan: The protest rally at the May 28 metro station in Baku, appointed by the emigrant bloggers for May 21, was prevented. In general, human rights activists state that protest actions are prohibited in the center of the capital. Recently, this is explained by the requirements of a special quarantine regime due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Official structures report that because of a special quarantine regime, restrictions have been introduced on holding meetings and actions.

Social media users emphasize that due to the special quarantine regime, actions are not allowed,   but sports competitions and spectators who will watch them are not limited. For example, a Formula 1 race is to be held in Baku on June 4-6 with the participation of spectators, and ticket sales have already begun for the matches of the European Football Championship in Baku.

Are actions allowed during the quarantine regime?

According to the decree of the Cabinet of Ministers, the period of the special quarantine regime in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan has been extended until June 1. In accordance with the decision of the department on additional measures in connection with the special quarantine regime, all public events, including cultural and sports events, were suspended, with the exception of sports competitions and open-air games without the participation of spectators.

The international human rights organization Amnesty International, in its April 7 report, noted that some of the measures to combat the coronavirus pandemic in the past year have further exacerbated human rights violations and inequality in Europe and Central Asia. According to the organization, some lawyers in Azerbaijan have also come under pressure, freedom of assembly has been restricted, and allegations of torture and ill-treatment during detention are widespread.

The MP Fazail Agamaly, a member of the Committee on Legal Policy and State Construction, told Turan that holding actions during a pandemic is inappropriate, "because in many cases the established rules are not observed during the action."

According to the deputy, these allusions do not reflect reality and do not attract a sufficient number of people around them. "There is nothing here for the state to feel any danger to itself from this, be it any specific goal."

The member of the committee noted that, according to Azerbaijani legislation, in order to hold the actions, it is necessary to apply to the Executive Power of the city of Baku to ensure the safety of the participants of the action; on the other hand, the rights of those who do not participate in the action are not violated.

"Both of these factors are important. Therefore, it is best to apply, and based on this appeal, actions can be carried out, subject to certain quarantine rules. Very occasionally, a maximum of 50-60 people go to the action, while they do not have masks on their faces, the distance is hygienic safety. It is also against the rules of the pandemic," he said.

Agamaly believes that comparing this with the Formula-1 competition does not have sufficient logic, "because the spectators who watch this competition will definitely observe a social distance, they will be at least 2 meters from each other."

The deputy stressed that there is no mass character in the actions held and the comparison is groundless. "The Azerbaijani society today does not support actions held under a variety of issues," he said.

The head of the Civil Rights Institute, Bashir Suleymanli, said that the quarantine regime could not become an obstacle to the holding of actions.

“Freedom of assembly has been limited in Azerbaijan for a long time. In quarantine mode, it just went on. Not only freedom of assembly, but also other rights and political freedoms are limited from time to time. This is reflected both in the documents of local human rights defenders and in the reports of international organizations,” he said.

The expert noted that today the restrictions are linked to the quarantine regime in Azerbaijan, “but, unfortunately, in other cases, favorable conditions are not created for the self-expression of citizens. There is a restriction on freedom of assembly, and the authorities are pursuing a wrong policy in this area."

Suleymanli says that either the rally is not allowed at all, or very difficult places for the rally are offered to citizens.

“For several years now, the Mehsul stadium, located within the city, where the actions were held, has been closed. The executive power of the city of Baku reported that repair work is underway there. Despite so much time has passed, no repair work is being carried out there, and a few holes have been dug. Even the stadium is not being repaired or commissioned so that residents can use it for its intended purpose. "

He believes the pandemic is just an excuse. “Even if countries around the world have bans related to the pandemic, actions are held from time to time. But the holding of shares in Azerbaijan is completely limited," Suleymanli said. —0—