From: Justin Burke (JBurke@sorosny.org)
Date: Tue Jun 18 2002 - 10:50:47 EDT
TCU-AZERI-RIGHTS
Azeri rights activists warn recent riots "training ground" for future
crackdowns
Text of report by Azerbaijani news agency Bilik Dunyasi
Baku, 17 June: The forum of non-governmental organizations today held a
round table involving politicians, lawyers, representatives of
non-governmental organizations and the media. It was devoted to the
Nardaran events. Arzu Abdullayeva, chairwoman of the Azerbaijani Committee
of the Helsinki Citizens' Assembly, told those present about the situation
in this small settlement in the north of Abseron [Peninsula] after troops
were sent there and a Nardaran delegation met representatives of the
country's president. According to her assessment, the situation in Nardaran
is tense. They first arrested people, then sent troops there, opened fire
on villagers, then made arrests again, then negotiated and made more
arrests.
"We should have held this meeting a long time ago. But events are developing
so quickly that we cannot keep up. The situation around Nardaran is very
serious. For this reason, we decided to rename the committee to protect the
rights of Nardaran residents, making it the all-Azerbaijani committee to
protect the rights of the population. The problem is that today this is
happening in Nardaran, but tomorrow the population in any other part of
Azerbaijan might rise up to demand that its social problems be resolved,"
Abdullayeva said.
"I live in Nardaran. The police stop me half way and do not allow me to go
to Nardaran. Things like that are possible only when a state of emergency
is imposed. This is being done bypassing the constitution and laws of
Azerbaijan. If the people have the right to demand the president's
resignation according to the Constitution, then why do the people of
Nardaran not have the right to demand the resignation of the head of the
district executive authorities in their own settlement?" Ilyas Ismayilov,
head of the Justice Party, asked.
Arif Haciyev, deputy chairman of the Musavat Party, said that the
authorities had chosen Nardaran as a "training ground".
"They want to know what Azerbaijani society will do if there is an emergency
situation. For this reason, we must take the most serious measures to
protect the rights of each member of society," Haciyev said.
Source: Bilik Dunyasi news agency, Baku, in Russian 1140 gmt 17 Jun 02
BBC Mon TCU 170602 aed/ek
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