Epress.am News from Armenia
Police in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku said they detained 23 people at an unsanctioned rally on Sunday, reports RIA Novosti. The rally, organized by the Public Chamber, which is comprised of a number of opposition parties in Azerbaijan, was scheduled for 5 pm on Jun. 19 at Narimanov Park. Other protests were planned in a number of other Baku venues throughout the day.
According to tweets at the time by local activists, Müsavat party members Elçin Kerimov (Elchin Kerimov), Rövşən Muradov (Rovshan Muradov) and İsa Məmmədli (Isa Memmedli) and Azerbaijan Popular Front Party member Mahir Qulubəyli (Mahir Gulubeyli), among others, were detained prior to the start of the rally. A preliminary list is available here.
Furthermore, local reports indicated that a few hours before the scheduled start of the rally, police shut down metro stations as well as blocked access to main streets in downtown Baku.
According to RFE/RL’s Azerbaijan service, due to police intervention, protests didn’t last for more than few minutes.
Protestors at Narimanov Park, however, were able to take part in a flashmob during which time they held posters on which it was written “Azadliq” (freedom) and “Istefa” (resignation). Reports indicate that activist Ramin Bakhishov was detained during the flashmob, while tweeps reported that Musavat party leader Isa Gambar’s son, Turqut Qəmbər (Turgut Gambar), was also detained, but released around 9 pm, after the protests had ended.
At around 6 pm, reportedly three women with Müsavat were detained. According to RFE/RL’s Azerbaijan service (Azadliq), the woman were forced into a police vehicle and taken away. They too were released once the protests ended.
At around 7 pm, about 70 demonstrators had gathered near the Ayna Sultanova monument. They were demanding Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s resignation, chanting “Ilham, go to hell”.
There were many detained from this protest venue as well. According to the Public Chamber, about 40 activists from this demonstration were taken to police division.
Note, the demonstrations taking place in different areas around Baku were to culminate in the area adjacent to the Nariman Narimanov cinema; however, this didn’t happen as police had blocked the area and prohibited activists from entering.