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BAKU: Police thwart opposition picket

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  • BAKU: Police thwart opposition picket

    AzerNews
    Aug 5 2004

    Police thwart opposition picket

    Some 30 members of the Whole Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (WAPFP)
    attempted to hold an action in front of the Foreign Ministry at about
    noon on Monday protesting the participation of Armenian officers in
    the NATO training sessions due in Baku in September. The action was
    not sanctioned by the Mayor's Office of Baku.

    40 police officers prevented the protesters holding slogans, "Death
    to aggressor", "Respect for our state and nation", "Take Armenian
    criminals to international court", from approaching the Ministry
    building. The police also prevented the protesters from reading out a
    declaration they adopted but allowed them to submit it to the
    ministry. WAPFP initially intended to hold similar protest actions in
    front of several ministries and embassies of NATO member-states in
    Baku, including the USA, Great Britain, France, Germany, Poland,
    Italy and Greece, before August 10.

    The party members also plan to hold a picket in front of the Ministry
    of Justice demanding that their party be registered.

    Mayor sued
    However, on Tuesday WAPFP postponed the protest actions for three
    days. The party has sued Mayor of Baku Hajibala Abutalibov following
    the refusal of the mayor's office to sanction the actions. According
    to the WAPFP deputy chairman Elchin Mirzabayli, the lawsuit was filed
    to the Sabayil district court on the grounds that the Mayor violated
    the provisions of the law on freedom of gatherings. Mirzabayli added
    that the court does not issue a fair ruling, the party will continue
    protest actions. WAPFP, founded early this year, along with two other
    entities, the Popular Front Party "reformers" and the Popular Front
    Party "classics", considers itself the legal successor of the Popular
    Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), which was chaired by the
    ex-president of Azerbaijan Abulfaz Elchibay prior to his demise.
    WAPFP is currently chaired by parliament member Gudrat Hasanguliyev.
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