Opposition news

Musavat attempt to hold rally in Sumgayit

The chairman of the Musavat Party Isa Gambar held a briefing following a meeting of Democratic Congress-1, saying that the Sumgayit branch of the party had attempted to hold a rally in front of the Narimanov House of Culture Sunday. According to him, the organizers of the rally made an appeal to the local authorities to sanction the protest action, but got no response.

21 protesters, including 3 women, clashed with police and were taken to a police precinct. 13 people were warned and released, while three were imposed a fine of AZM110,000 and the rest were sentenced to 3 to 5 days in prison. Also arrested was a journalist of the "Yeni Musavat" newspaper who consequently was released. Isa Gambar believes that the authorities won't be able to prevent the movement by using force to impede the struggle of the United Opposition Movement (UOM), adding that the UOM is braced for another rally Saturday.

PFPA insists on new by-elections

The PFPA reform wing has issued a statement claiming falsifications during the by-elections to the Azeri parliament on April 12 in Narimanov #24, Ali Bayramli-Salyan #29 and Kapaz #31 constituencies. The PFPA members of the polling station commissions were forcibly driven out of the polling stations by police after 7 p.m. and banned to take part in the counting of the votes. The party says that the voter turnout made up 12-14 %. The PFPA calls to arraign the officials from the executive bodies and police who had interfered in the election process.

Musavat members demand police chief punishment

The Binagady branch of the Musavat Party picketed district police department #4 Monday, carrying slogans "Hold chief police Teymur Kazimov accountable" and "Those beating Zahir are criminals". Police forced the protesters away from the department in clashes.

Chairman of the party's branch Tofig Yagublu said the party executives Zahir Beydulla and Alovsat Bayramli, who took part in the rally of the United Opposition Movement on March 23, were taken to a police precinct, where the former was brutally battered and sentenced to 15 days in prison. Z. Beydulla was taken to hospital with bad injuries and underwent an operation. The protesters demanded that a criminal case be initiated and the chief of the police department Teymur Kazimov be arraigned. The Musavat executive pledged to appeal to international organizations to achieve his resignation.

By-elections candidates appeal to the court

Two former candidates from the PFPA reform wing, Arif Pashayev and Teyyub Guliyev, who was running for parliamentary by-elections on April 12, appealed to the Court of Appeals on irregulartities during the elections. Their applications were accompanied by the protocols documenting election law violations in constituencies #24 in Narimanov district of Baku and Alibayramli-Salyan #29.

The two also have appealed to the Constitutional Court of Azerbaijan.

ADP protests arrest of its activists

The Azerbaijan Democratic Party held a news conference at its headquarters Tuesday to protest the arrest of two woman activists, former MPs Solmaz Alasgarov and Zamina Dunyamaliyeva, who were sentenced to 6 days in jail following a Narimanov district court ruling. Lawyer Elchin Gambarov informed of his having addressed the Court of Appeals to annul the court ruling and let the two ADP members free.

Police arrested the two outside the party's headquarters Monday. They were taken to Narimanov police department #18. A Narimanov district court sentenced Z. Dunyamaliyeva and S. Alasgarova to 6 days in prison for breach of public order.

The ADP Political Council decided Tuesday to hold protest actions in front of the Ministry of Justice, the Interior Ministry, the Constitution Court, the Prosecutor Office, the Chief Police Department of Baku, and the Court of Appeals every day to have the arrested released. To put the decision to work, the party attempted to picket the Court of Appeals and the Chief Police Department. However, police stymied the endeavor, taking 8 ADP members to a police precinct. Yet, the protesters managed to forward the resolution to the assistant chairman of the Appeals Court, who told the crowd that they hadn't got the ruling of the Narimanov court.

Communists to set up leftist council

The United Communist Party of Azerbaijan (UCPA), the Azerbaijan Communist Party and the Azerbaijan Union of Workers held a scientific and theoretical conference "Lenin and modern communist movement" Sunday on the initiative of the Bolshevik Group to mark the 132nd anniversary of the founder of the former USSR. Speakers touched upon the problems of local leftist parties established following the collapse of the USSR and ways of their unification to grow into a true communist movement. The parties called on all the leftist groups to struggle against the authorities.

First Secretary of the Central Committee of the UCPA Musa Tukanov proposed to set up a coordination council of the leftist movement in Azerbaijan. The participants in the conference accepted the proposal and decided to work out and approve the regulations of the Coordination Council within a month.

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Compiled by Firuza Baymammadqizi

Azernews Contributor