National Council�s statement on the authorities� refusal to allow a peaceful and lawful public protest demonstration.

Baku/29.01.19/Turan: The National Council of the Democratic Forces of Azerbaijan, applied to the Baku City Executive Authority (hereafter BCEA) for permission to hold another protest demonstration in ""Mehsul"" stadium. The rally was to be held on January 26. The intended protest demonstration was lawful and peaceful. Nevertheless, the BCEA refused to grant permission for this demonstration. In doing so, the government of Azerbaijan has blatantly disrespected the free assembly rights of the citizens.

In its response letter, BCEA attempted to rationalize its decision of refusal. It openly admitted that the decision was swayed by the request of the Police. This in turn is an open admission of the existence of a Police regime in Azerbaijan.

The decision to organize another protest rally on January 26 was made with the participation of twenty thousand citizens in National Council"s January 19 demonstration.

To refuse the permission for the demonstration by relying on Police"s made up allegations, is first and foremost to disrespect the desire and will of the thousands of Azerbaijani citizens. It is also a clear violation of the free assembly rights that are protected by both the Constitution of Azerbaijan, and the European Convention on Human Rights.

BCEA"s reliance on police request suggests that the government is in general, and from now on, reluctant to permit any sanctioned and peaceful protests. The National Council calls the government to avoid this dangerous path. A ban on peaceful and sanctioned protest demonstrations would essentially eliminate the rights to free assembly, and may very well lead to terrible consequences for the government itself.

The government has tried everything to limit the appeal and success of public demonstrations. They consistently arrest the organizers and block the main roads leading to the location of the demonstrations. Just last week, the authorites have harrassed hundreds of activists and have jailed twenty-four PFPA, and two Musavat party members. Every possible method of limiting the size of the protest rally was deployed by the government.

In spite of all of these however, even under the most restrictive and absurd conditions, the January 19 rally was the largest and the most successful in the past 13 years. It finally became crystal clear that our nation"s political activism has drastically increased, and that people are now ready to gather in public demonstations to demand a brighter future.

Precisely this scares the government- hence the refusal to permit the next protest demonstrations from taking place. In other words, it seems that instead of listening to the people of Azerbaijan and starting the process of change from Authoriatianism to Democracy, the Aliyev regime, worried of the threat to its existence, wants to move to a fully dictatorial regime.

The National Council will make future determinations in accordance to the new reality. Together with the people of Azerbaijan it will take appropriate steps to restore the freedoms of the Azerbaijani people. The National Council will use all legal means in order to guarantee the free assembly rights of Azerbaijani citizens- to enable the people of Azerbaijan to continue sanctioned protest demonstrations. The governmment must know that people"s right to peaceful protest cannot be taken away for a long time.

If the government sticks to its policy of forbidding sanctioned protest rallies, then it must know that the National Council will retain its right to organize unsanctioned protest demonstrations. -0-