War handicapped press ahead with protests

19 handicapped of the Garabagh war resumed the thirst-strike on February 15 following what they believe was another act of deception on part of the government, according to the acting chairman of the Society of the Garabagh Handicapped (SGH) Gunduz Rahimov (chairman of the society Etimad Asadov is involved in the protest action).

According to him, 57 disabled have expressed a wish to join the action. The strike is being held only in the society's head-quarters.

Besides previous demands, two more have been put forward: to reconsider the decision of the Ministry of Justice to abolish the registration of an alternative society of the Garabagh war handicapped and to dismiss the president's chief-of-staff Ramiz Mehdiyev for deceiving the handicapped, he said.

Holding out hope

The handicapped say they are determined to push ahead with their deadly thirst-strike, Gunduz Rahimov said.

"We still hold out hope as we defend a just cause", press-secretary of the society Ray Karimoglu told a PFPA congress Saturday. Rahimov says the government has refused to sit down at the negotiating table despite having officially announced that it will.

He added that the society intends to sue the Ministry of Justice for registering the illegally established organization, thus breaking the rights of the true society members.

The new society has been set up allegedly on the basis of the existing society without the latter's participation and consent, which contradicts the law, Mr. Rahimov said.

+Street march

held Monday

Hundreds of refugees and members of war-victim families organized a street march from the Ayna Sultanova monument till the building of the Society of the Garabagh handicapped, the site of the second deadly hunger-strike by 19 handicapped.

The group was then joined by the strikers and proceeded along the streets, chanting the previously-proclaimed demands of the disabled.

According to the acting chairman of the society Gunduz Rahimov, around 7,000 people took part in the march. Numerous policemen attempted to stop the crowd, but failed to do so. Several protesters were severely beaten.

After returning to the hunger-strike venue, one of the strikers cut his veins and, together with another striker, was rushed to hospital. According to G. Rahimov, the authorities have not yet responded to the demands.

Social benefits to be reconsidered

The Cabinet of Ministers has issued a resolution to set up a working group to reconsider the benefits and privileges for the Garabagh war handicapped, veterans and victim families and their socio-economic status. The group will be led by vice-premier Ali Hasanov and include deputy ministers for health, finance, defense, labor and social security, internal affairs, justice, prosecutor general, a Cabinet official, and three leaders of the newly-established society of the handicapped.

The group will analyze the proposals and suggestions of the disabled and report to the government within 3 months.

Investigation started

The Baku City Prosecutor's Office has started investigation into street clashes in Baku on February 19, says a joint news release from Prosecutor's office and the MIA.

The law-enforcement bodies say around 500-600 members of the former society of the Garabagh handicapped, their families and specially invited people gathered to the intersection of Ziya Bunyadov and Druzhba Molodiozhi streets at 4 p.m. on February 19 and blocked one of the main arteries of the capital.

Tolerating the illegal acts by protesters and attempts of organizers to provoke clashes and stand-off, the police repeatedly called on calm and dispersal. However, the most ardent protesters did instigate public disarray by overturning three police cars and injuring 20 policemen.

As a result of the measures taken, further enlargement of the campaign was prevented.

The report also says that the core reason for what happened is the attempt of the former society of the Garabagh handicapped to distract public attention from its criminal deeds. According to preliminary data, chairman of the society Etimad Asadov and his immediate surroundings have committed financial violations in running the society. Thus, members of the society board Ziyaddin Abbasov, Rafael Hasanov and others have embezzled around AZM1 billion from the 5 buses owned by the society's "Unix" firm. The money was intended to be provided to the handicapped.

Investigation into these facts has been started.