Rally in support of political prisoners
| Rally in support of political prisoners | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | January 19, 2019 | ||
| Location | |||
| Caused by | New charges against already arrested blogger Mehman Huseynov | ||
| Goals | Release of Mehman Huseynov | ||
| Parties to the civil conflict | |||
| Lead figures | |||
| Number | |||
Rally in support of political prisoners (Azerbaijani: Siyasi məhbuslara dəstək etirazı) was a protest organized by the National Council of Democratic Forces in Mahsul Stadium, in Baku , Azerbaijan on January 19, 2019. The purpose of the rally was to demand the release of blogger Mehman Huseynov and others recognized as political prisoners by international organizations.
On March 3, 2017 Azerbaijani blogger Mehman Huseynov was sentenced to two years in prison on defamation charges. Two months before the end of the sentence, on December 26, 2018 Azerbaijani Prison Service stated that Huseynov attacked an officer. Human rights activists considered the new criminal case as a revenge on the blogger for criticizing the authorities. However, on January 22, after the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev demanded to ensure the objectivity of the investigation, the case was closed.[3]
On December 10, 2018, the Union for the Freedom of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan presented a list of political prisoners for the International Human Rights Day celebrated on December 10th. The list consisted of 150 people.[4]
Timeline[edit]
January 19[edit]
On January 19, 2019 several thousand people took part in a protest action organized by the National Council of Democratic Forces in Mahsul Stadium, Baku.[5][6] The purpose of the rally was to demand the release of blogger Mehman Huseynov and other people recognized as political prisoners by international organizations.[7]
The police closed the stadium 15 minutes after the start of the rally, and the mobile internet service was turned off at the stadium so that no one could watch live broadcasts on social networks. The police took the portraits of political prisoners brought by some of the participants who were standing at the entrance. The protesters began shouting slogans “Freedom to political prisoners”, “Freedom to Mehman Huseynov”, “This is our homeland”, “We will win” and other slogans.[7]
Representatives of the opposition parties Musavat, Republican Alternative and Azerbaijani Popular Front Party, as well as political activists attended the stands.[2] Vice-chairman of the Musavat party, Tofig Yagublu, the chairman of the Republican Alternative Party, Ilgar Mammadov, and the chairman of the Popular Front of Azerbaijan party, Ali Karimli spoke at the rally. In their speeches, they criticized Azerbaijan's government and talked about corruption, economic conditions and violations of human rights. In addition, they also cricized the peaceful position of the government of Azerbaijan on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. There were no gross violations of public order and the law.[7]
January 24[edit]
The executive branch of Baku Mayoralty refused to hold a rally on January 26 for the opposition National Council of Democratic Forces. The refusal was motivated by the fact that during the ceremony of visiting the Alley of Martyrs on January 20 there were violations of public order. For this reason, the head of the Main Police Department of Baku, Major General Mirgafar Seyidov, appealed to the executive authority of the capital to ban the holding of street opposition rallies.[8]
January 26[edit]
According to the Main Police Department of Baku, a group of 50 to 60 people made an attempt to hold a rally on Mirali Sayidov Street in the Yasamal District. 15 protestors were detained and were taken to the Yasamal District Police Department. 10 people were arrested for various charges. The rest were given a verbal warning, after which they were released.[9]
Protestors[edit]
According to the organizers, about 20 thousand people took part in the rally,[2] although Baku Main Police Department stated that the number of participants was 2,800.[1][10]
Aftermath[edit]
As a result of the protest rally on January 21, 2019, the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev instructed to objectively investigate the case of Mehman Huseynov.[11] On January 22, 2019 the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Azerbaijan made a statement on the termination of a new criminal case against blogger Mehman Huseynov, who was in prison.[12]
Reactions[edit]
Local[edit]
The rally participants complained about too much attention to them from the police. They were called to police stations under various pretexts. Some were asked a few questions over the telephone. The questions mainly concern passport information, such as names, addresses, and phone numbers. Some were asked about their profession and political affiliation. Instead of a specific department, they called from the local accommodation departments.[13]
International[edit]
The Council of Europe and the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs called for the release of the blogger.[14]
Since the beginning of January, a public campaign in support of Huseynov, who is serving a sentence in prison, is underway in Azerbaijan and several European countries.[14]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "BŞBPİ: Milli Şuranın mitinqində 2800 nəfər iştirak edib". www.report.az (in azərbaycanca).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Opposition protest in support of political prisoners takes place in Baku". jam-news.net. JamNews.
- ↑ Majid, Faig (22 January 2019). "Дело Мехмана Гусейнова". kavkaz.uzel.eu (in русский). Кавказский узел.
- ↑ Majid, Faig (7 December 2018). "Азербайджанские правозащитники обновили список политзаключенных". kavkaz.uzel.eu (in русский). Кавказский узел.
- ↑ "Protest Mounts in Azerbaijan". iwpr.net. iwpr.net.
- ↑ "Protest Rally In Baku Calls For Release Of Political Prisoners". www.rferl.org. www.rferl.org.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Mehmana Hüseynova azadlıq! mitinqi baş tutdu - (Yenilənir)". www.meydan.tv. Meydan TV.
- ↑ "Власти запретили митинг оппозиции в Баку". haqqin.az (in русский). 24 January 2019.
- ↑ "Полиция заявила о пресечении уличного шествия в Ясамальском районе Баку". www.ekhokavkaza.com. Эхо Кавказа. 27 January 2019.
- ↑ "Thousands Rally In Baku Calling For Release Of Political Prisoners". www.rferl.org. Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
- ↑ "Azərbaycan Prezidenti məhkum Mehman Hüseynovun işinin obyektiv və ədalətli araşdırılması ilə bağlı tapşırıq verib" (in azərbaycanca). report.az.
- ↑ "Criminal case against Mehman Huseynov terminated". www.azernews.az.
- ↑ "Azərbaycanda mitinq iştirakçılarına polisdən zəng vurub "nömrə və ünvan dəqiqləşdirirlər"". jam-news.net (in azərbaycanca). JamNews.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Mylnikov, Pavel (19 January 2019). "В Баку прошел митинг в поддержку арестованного блогера Гусейнова". www.dw.com (in русский). Deutsche Welle.
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