HR events in Azerbaijan: bulletin #32 summary
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From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1998 10:56:41 +0300 (EET DST)
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Subject: HR events in Azerbaijan: bulletin #32 summary
From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>
Original sender: Eldar Zeynalov <[email protected]>
HR events in Azerbaijan: bulletin #32 summary
Summary of some news from the bulletin #32
* * *
Yesterday, first officially permitted mass meeting of opposition
happened in Baku. The authorities defined the motorcycle racing treck
locating at the enter to the capital as its place, and it created a
transport obstacles. Additionally, only one hour was given.
Despite of all obstacles, several thousand people gathered. Besides,
impermitted opposition meeting were in some provinces. According to
the governmental sources, total number of participants was less than
5,000, among them some 3,000 in Baku.
The theme of the meetings is a critique of the new election law,
propagation of the idea of boycott of Presidential elections, etc.
* * *
A few day ago, one of the political prisoners, a Chairman of Labour
Party of Azerbaijan Sabutay Hadjiyev was released from the detention
conditionally. On 12 Sep 1996, he was sentenced to the 3-years
imprisonment for the illegal possession of weapon (art.220). The
weapon was allegedly targetted for the goals of coup d'etat of the
supporters of ex-President Ayaz Mutallibov, and about 20 people were
arrested on the case.
* * *
The criminal case terminated on so named "Ganja Case" against a range
of former high level officials (Isa Qambar, Sulheddin Akber, Faxraddin
Tahmazov, Abdulla Allahverdiyev and others). It was started in July
1993 on the case of unsuccessful attempt to suppress the military
opposition in Ganja. After a head of the military opposition, Suret
Huseynov, became a Prime-Minister, he forced to start a criminal case
against the organizers, some of whom were already arrested and
detained in the Ganja Prison without any legal reasons. Now, the trial
of ex-Premier Suret Huseynov continued, and one of the accusations is
the mentioned Ganja coup. So, the termination of the "Ganja case"
sounds as a logical step. However, the S.Huseynov was disclosed as a
"people's enemy" in October 1994. Therefore, the observers explain a
termination of the case by the forthcoming Presidential elections. One
of the leaders of opposition, chairman of "Musavat" Party Isa Qambar
couldnot take part in the campaign because of formal reason, being
under the trial.
* * *
The Minister of Interior Ramil Usubov confirmed the information about
a deportation of the group of Turkish Kurds who has illegally crossed
the Azerbaijani border. MIA has no information about the membership of
these people in PKK, stated the Minister and expressed a hope that
such the events would not harm the Turkish-Azerbaijani relations. The
number of deported and a country of destination were not mentioned.
* * *
Ministry of National Security informed about the deportation from
Azerbaijan an officer of the Saudian humanitarian organization "Al
Harameen", Mr. Al-Hamdi Saleh Musfir, who since 1997 propagated the
Vahhabism in Azerbaijan. During last month, 8 Islamic missionaries
were deported because of propaganda of this radical movement. Also, a
former Director of the Baku branch of the Kuwaiti Charity Society
"Revival of Islamic Heritage, originally Palestinian, Mr.Salim Zaharna
Sadi was deported because of his "harmful" activity, the MNS stated.
* * *
The Artsakh (Karabakhi) Bishop of the Armenian Apostelic Church, Rev.
Parkev Martirossian appealed to all Armenians to prevent the activity
of the Jehowa Witnesses. He considers the attempts the Sectarians to
infiltrate into Karabakh as the horrible danger for the nation and
state, mainly, because they are against military service.
The Bishop addressed to the people, officials, intellectuals and
soldiers to joint all the efforts against of this "stamp of
Anti-Christ."
* * *
On August 10, the participants of the Eurasian Peace March "Toward the
New Age without Wars and Violence" visited Mountainous Karabakh. On
August 14, they reached Baku. The organizers this march are Buddist
Order "Nippondzan Miohodzi" (Japan), Committee of Soldiers Mothers
(Russia), and Peace Center in Chechnya. The March started on July 6
from Yasnaya Polyana in Russia will be ended in Nepal after visiting
some conflict areas of Eurasia.
* * *
The President of Armenia, Robert Kocharian was invited by the
President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev to take part in the
international meeting in Baku concerning the restoration of "Silk
Road." He refused, but the Prime-Minister Armen Darbinian will replace
him and represent Armenia at this forum.
* * *
Initiative Group of Amnesty International in Azerbaijan started the
campaign on the collecting the signatures under the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights. The first person signed into the special
hotepade was a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, former possible
prisoner of conscience in 1995-1996, Mr. Tofiq Qasimov.
--
Human Rights Center of Azerbaijan
165-3, Bashir Safaroglu Street
Baku 370000, Azerbaijan / CIS
E-mail: [email protected]
Tel. +994-12-973233, fax 947550
http://www.koan.de/~eldar
--
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