The Institute for Peace and Democracy calls on the international observers

4 days remain till October 09, the Election Day. The reports of the OSCE Observation Mission, the joint statement made on October 03 by Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the  EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and Stefan Fule, European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighborhood Policy, convey a deep concern over the crackdown on civil activists, human rights defenders, the opposition members, and the independent media of Azerbaijan in the run-up to the presidential elections. The OSCE Representative for Mass Media Freedom has repeatedly urged to stop persecutions, arrests and battering of journalists, restriction of the mass media.

The civil society institutions of Azerbaijan keep on documenting and disclosing the pressure suffered by journalists (the arbitrary arrest of Parviz Heshimli, battering of the journalists in Sabirabad, etc.) and citizens trying to register as local observers in polling stations.

Recalling the experience of the previous elections in 2003, 2005, 2008, and 2010, IPD calls on the international observers to demonstrate the highest possible attention and care for local observers and journalists in the night of October 09 - 10.

Those years about thousands of local observers across the country refused signing fraudulent protocols; in consequence, they were detained and taken to police stations; they were badly tortured in the presence of their family members also taken there; they were threatened with rape against their daughters and wives.

In 2003 over 300 local observers were held administratively liable; hundreds of them ran away having the originals of voting results reports with them. This explains why the Central Election Commission has never published voting results of the 2003 presidential elections after 10 years.

Remembering the direct refusal of Ilham Aliyev to punish the police officers who had used violence and injured citizens in 2003 and 2005, despite the calls of the СоЕ and the OSCE, remembering repeated public assurances of Ilham Aliyev addressed to the police officers to break the law using violence against citizens without fear of being persecuted, on October 09-10 we will see extreme police brutality, first of all, against local observers and journalists fulfilling their duties.

IPD calls on the international observers not to stand by idly seeing police violence against journalists and local observers. In 2003 several observers from Poland, in the truest sense of the word, rescued (hid and drove with them) several dozens of local observers from battering and prison in polling stations of the Absheron villages.

In 4 days each of you can witness police violence. Extend attention and protection to those next to you. It is you who can give a helping hand to the one who can be mutilated physically and morally:it is you who can help them, but not political decisions of top international organizations.

IPD calls on the international observers to ensure safety and protection of Jamil Hasanli, the presidential candidate, the opposition leaders and families in the aftermath of the elections.

IPD calls on the international observers to give a special priority to the families of the opposition members who were taken hostages (the son of People's Front Party Leader Ali Kerimli was taken into custody during campaigning on false charges) and battered (the under-age son of human rights defender Ogtay Gulaliyev was badly injured during campaigning).