Unrest in Baku Suburb leaves one dead, dozens injured

Clashes broke out between civilians and special police troops in Nardaran settlement, some 40 km north of Baku, Monday, leaving one dead and dozens injured.

200-300 local residents with stones, bottles of firing mixtures and cutlery and armed police with trained dogs confronted in what was like a real battle. The reason of the protests was arrests of four elders, who were allegedly invited to the local prosecutor office to coordinate in Nardaran's representation in the executive body.

Local disobedience to authorities has quite a long history and is largely related to major social problems, such as lack of ultimate living conditions, electricity, gas, and pervasive poverty.

Nardaran is also noted for its strong adherence to Islam, as all protest actions are held under Islamic mottoes.

Fierce clashes

Eyewitnesses and authorities have released varying description of the developments.

Local residents report police opened fire at 21:30 and protesters burned 11 cars and buses. 16 protesters were rushed to hospital with heavy wounds.

Meanwhile, an Interior Ministry report said 8 cars were damaged, 4 burnt down, while 35 policemen were hospitalized with serious bodily injuries. Senior police sergeant Matlab Malikov was gravely wounded in his hip and Nardaran resident Alihasan Agayev was killed.

The protesting villagers called to disobey the authorities, brutally violating public order, the Interior Ministry and the General Prosecutor's Office said in statements Tuesday.

The protesters showed resistance to police by using force, throwing bottles of firing mixtures at police cars. In retaliation, police had to resort to using arms to quell the violence.

Two most active instigators were arrested. Operative and investigative measures are still underway to apprehend other organizers of the protest action.

Roots

The protest came after arrests on Monday of four elders of the settlement charged with masterminding a May 7 protest action linked to the appointment of a new settlement representative of the local Sabunchi executive body.

They were handed over to the Department for Organized Crime Prevention.

It is recalled that Nardaran dwellers protested twice last year, pushing for solution to their social and economic problems, construction and repair of roads, sustained gas and electricity supplies, income generation, etc. Part of the demands was complied with, but the local people were unhappy with the settlement representative and protested again.

Funeral

Residents of Nardaran on Baku's outskirts gathered for a funeral procession in the settlement's Imam Hussein Square Tuesday to bid farewell to the 53-year-old deceased, who was killed in clashes with police Monday. Also attending the procession were members of opposition parties, MPs Ali Karimov, Gulamhussein Aliyev, Jamil Hasanli, Nizami Guliyev, and others.

Natives of Nardaran reproached President Aliyev with holding meetings with Armenian President Kocharian and having no time to meet his fellow countrymen in Nardaran.

A three-day of mourning has been announced after local population vowed to protest all day long until the arrested elders of the settlement were released.

Comments

Local observers believe Iran's some religious circles have special influence in Nardaran. The first chairman of the Islamic Party of Azerbaijan, Haji Alikram, who was later arrested for relations with Iranian intelligence, is from Nardaran.

Some analysts even suggest that proponents of ex-President of Azerbaijan Ayaz Mutallibov currently in Moscow, might have a finger in the developments.