2019 Baku protests

Last updated
2019 Baku protests
19 oktyabr mitinqi (Baki).jpg
Police facing off the protesters on 19 October
Date8, 19 and 20 October, 2019
Location
Baku, Azerbaijan
GoalsRelease of political prisoners, free and fair elections, resignation of president Ilham Aliyev
Methods Protests, civil resistance
Parties
Number
Hundreds (on 19 October)
220 (on 19 October) [1]
Casualties
Detained on 19 October: 60 (police claim) [1] more than 80 (Reuters) [2]

The 2019 Baku protests were a series of nonviolent rallies on 8, 19 and 20 October in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan. The protests on 8 and 19 October were organized by the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF), an alliance of opposition parties, and called for the release of political prisoners and for free and fair elections. They were also against growing unemployment and economic inequality. Among those detained on 19 October was the leader of the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party, Ali Karimli.

Contents

Background

Although the Constitution of Azerbaijan allows peaceful assembly after notifying the relevant government body in advance, in practice Azerbaijani government requires such assemblies to have a permission from local municipalities. [1] The women's request for a rally was rejected by the authorities on the grounds that the proposed site had many shops and restaurants and was therefore unsuitable. [1]

Protests

On 8 October NCDF organized a protest in support of the freedom of assembly. The participants gathered in front of the Baku mayor’s office, protesting against the decision of city officials to deny permission for a rally at the Mahsul Stadium in central Baku. The protesters were instead offered an area in Lokbatan, [3] around 20 km away from Baku. Some fifty demonstrators were allowed to protest at the venue, while several dozen more who were barred from joining the protest tried to break through the police cordon. They were dispersed and some of them were detained. [3] News media were also not allowed to cover the event. [3] According to police, seventeen protesters were reprimanded for violating the "mass demonstrations law," while four received administrative protocols for the same reason. [3]

Before the 19 October protest police cordoned off several streets in central Baku, the operation of three metro stations (28 May, Jafar Jabbarly and Shah Ismail Khatai [4] ) was suspended and the internet access was restricted. [2] The Baku Police Department declared the 19 October protest "unlawful". [4] Hundreds of members of the Rapid Police Unit were deployed. [4] On that day Ali Karimli was arrested and detained by police shortly after he began joining the protest in central Baku. He was released late in the evening. [5] According to police, sixty protesters were detained, of them forty-two were released with a "warning". [5]

On 20 October protesting women gathered near a statue of Khurshidbanu Natavan on Baku's Nizami Street and were met with police, who demanded they leave the site. Apart from posters, the protesters also wrote the same slogans on their clothes, fearing that the posters would be torn apart by police. [6] Several protesters wore slogans commemorating Elina Hajiyeva, a teenager who had committed suicide in Baku earlier that year because of school bullying. [6]

Reactions

In a statement on 19 October, the European Union called "on the authorities to release peaceful protesters remaining in detention", noting that "freedom of assembly is a fundamental human right and we expect Azerbaijan to ensure that it can be fully exercised, in line with the country’s international obligations". [7] Member of the European Parliament Kati Piri stated that "the violence was accompanied by a state-run smear campaign against the opposition and civil society activists, including an unprecedented attack on the EU diplomats fulfilling their professional tasks". [8] Another Member of the European Parliament Tonino Picula urged Federica Mogherini and the European Commission "to suspend further negotiations on the new agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan until the Azerbaijani government commits itself fully to the respect of fundamental rights". [8]

The US embassy in Baku called on "the government to credibly investigate reports of police violence, hold accountable those responsible, and release expeditiously those who remain in detention". [9] The embassy also noted that "freedom of assembly and freedom of speech are universal human rights guaranteed in Azerbaijan’s Constitution". [9]

Former Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Benelux Arif Mammadov staunchly criticized Azerbaijani authorities for violent crackdown of the 19 October protest. [10]

Human Rights Watch criticized the Azerbaijani authorities for refusing to allow the peaceful assembly of opposition. [5]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ali Karimli</span>

Ali Karimli born Ali Amirhuseyn oglu Karimov is an Azerbaijani politician and the head of the reformist wing of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Kazakhstan</span> Overview of the situation of human rights throughout Kazakhstan

Human rights in Kazakhstan are uniformly described as poor by independent observers. Human Rights Watch says that "Kazakhstan heavily restricts freedom of assembly, speech, and religion. In 2014, authorities closed newspapers, jailed or fined dozens of people after peaceful but unsanctioned protests, and fined or detained worshipers for practicing religion outside state controls. Government critics, including opposition leader Vladimir Kozlov, remained in detention after unfair trials. Torture remains common in places of detention."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Azerbaijan</span> Overview of human rights in Azerbaijan

International organizations have frequently alleged that Azerbaijan has violated human rights standards established in international law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Human rights in Armenia</span> Overview of human rights in Armenia

Human rights in Armenia tend to be better than those in most former Soviet republics and have drawn closer to acceptable standards, especially economically. In October 2023, Armenia ratified the Rome statute, whereby Armenia will become a full member of the International Criminal Court.

Freedom of assembly in Russia is granted by Article 31 of the Constitution adopted in 1993, where it states that citizens of the Russian Federation shall have the right to gather peacefully, without weapons, and to hold meetings, rallies, demonstrations, marches and pickets. In practice, the right to freedom of assembly is restricted by Russian authorities. According to a Russian law introduced in 2014, a fine or detention of up to 15 days may be given for holding a demonstration without the permission of authorities and prison sentences of up to five years may be given for three breaches. Single-person pickets have resulted in fines and a three-year prison sentence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Armenian presidential election protests</span> Protest

A series of anti-government riots took place in Armenia following presidential elections held on 19 February 2008. Protests broke out in the Armenian capital Yerevan, organized by supporters of presidential candidate and former president Levon Ter-Petrosyan and other opposition leaders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HIMA Youth Initiative</span>

HIMA!, was a youth initiative based in Yerevan, Armenia, advocating for democracy and civil rights during the last years of Armenia's former Presidents Robert Kocharyan's second term and first years of his successor, Serzh Sargsyan.

Adnan Hikmat oglu Hajizada is an Azerbaijani blogger and one of the founders of OL! Azerbaijani Youth Movement. He was employed as an internal communications officer at British Petroleum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strategy-31</span>

Strategy-31 is a series of civic protests in support of the right to peaceful assembly in Russia guaranteed by Article 31 of the Russian constitution. Since July 31, 2009, the protests were held in Moscow on Triumfalnaya Square on the 31st of every month with 31 days.

The 2011 Azerbaijani protests were a series of demonstrations held to protest the government of President Ilham Aliyev. Common themes espoused by demonstrators, many of whom were affiliated with Müsavat and the Popular Front Party, the main opposition parties in Azerbaijan, included doubts as to the legitimacy of the 2008 presidential election, desire for the release of political prisoners, calls for democratic reforms, and demands that Aliyev and his government resign from power. Azerbaijani authorities responded with a security crackdown, dispersing protests and curtailing attempts to gather with force and numerous arrests.

The Hijab protests in Azerbaijan are a consequence of changes in the formal and social aspects of Azerbaijan with the banning of the hijab in schools and universities. The hijab ban led to protests by some religious activists and to their subsequent arrests, due to their opposition to the new laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bakhtiyar Hajiyev</span> Azerbaijani activist and blogger (born 1982)

Bakhtiyar Ilyas oglu Hajiyev is an Azerbaijani activist and blogger who served a prison sentence from 2011 to 2012 on charges of evading military service. His imprisonment was protested by numerous human rights organizations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Azerbaijani presidential election</span>

Presidential elections were held in Azerbaijan on 9 October 2013. The result was a victory for incumbent President Ilham Aliyev, who received a reported 84.5% of the vote, whilst leading opposition candidate Jamil Hasanli finished second with a reported 5.5% of the vote.

Most Azerbaijanis receive their information from mainstream television, which is unswervingly pro-government and under strict government control. According to a 2012 report of the NGO "Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS)" Azerbaijani citizens are unable to access objective and reliable news on human rights issues relevant to Azerbaijan and the population is under-informed about matters of public interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leyla Yunus</span> Azerbaijani activist (born 1955)

Leyla Islam qizi Yunusova, better known as Leyla Yunus, is an Azerbaijani human rights activist who serves as the director of Institute of Peace and Democracy, a human rights organisation. She is particularly known for her work helping citizens affected by forced evictions in Baku, on whose behalf she organized several small protests. In July 2014, the Azerbaijani authorities jailed Yunus under allegations of fraud and tax evasion, which are charges widely regarded as dubious. After being sentenced to 8.5 years in jail on 13 August 2015, Leyla Yunus was released on grounds of her deteriorating health on 9 December 2015, with a court converting her sentence into a suspended one.

The National Council of Democratic Forces is an alliance of opposition parties of Azerbaijan. NCDF includes the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party, Open Society, the Forum of Intellectuals and the El movement. The stated goals of NCDF is the "protection of human rights, achieving the environment of free and fair elections reflecting the opinion of the people, in particular ensuring the right to freedom of assembly, removing pressures on independent media and civil society". The stated final goal of NCDF is the establishment of "a democratic state with rule of law, and to achieve integration of Azerbaijan into the Euro-Atlantic arena".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tofig Yagublu</span>

Tofig Rashid oghlu Yagublu, is an Azerbaijani politician, journalist, former deputy chairman of the Musavat Party (2010–2018), and a member of the coordinating center of the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF).

The 2020 Azerbaijani protests, also known within Azerbaijan as the Karabakh March, were series of civil protests from 12 to 15 July in various cities and towns in Azerbaijan. They erupted during the Armenian–Azerbaijani border clashes, with the protestors demanding full-scale war with Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gozal Bayramli</span> Azerbaijani politician and human rights activist (1962–2020)

Gozal Bayramli, also translated as Gozel Bayramli, was a politician of Azerbaijan, member and deputy chairman of the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party (APFP) and a former political prisoner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Armenian protests</span> Protests against the prime minister

The 2022 Armenian protests were a series of anti-government protests in Armenia that started on 5 April 2022. The protests continued into June 2022, and many protesters were detained by police in Yerevan. Protestors demanded Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan resign over his handling of the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. On 14 June 2022, the opposition announced their decision to terminate daily demonstrations aimed at toppling Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan after failing to achieve popular support.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Azerbaijan: Peaceful Rallies Dispersed Violently". Human Rights Watch. 22 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  2. 1 2 "UPDATE 1-Azeri police release opposition party leader after detention". Reuters. 19 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Opposition Activists Protest Outside Mayor's Office In Baku". RFERL. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 Murad Hemidov (19 October 2019). "Mitinq zamanı polis vətəndaşlara şiddət edib" (in Azerbaijani). Sosxəbər. Archived from the original on 27 October 2019. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 "Baku Police Detain Dozens As Opposition Rallies". RFERL. 19 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Anti–domestic violence march goes ahead in Baku despite attempts by police to disperse it". OC Media. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  7. ↑ "Statement by the Spokesperson on the latest developments in Azerbaijan". European External Action Service. 19 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  8. 1 2 "S&Ds: EU should suspend negotiations with Azerbaijan following the latest crackdown against peaceful protest". Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  9. 1 2 "U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan released statement on October 19 protest". Azeri Press Agency. 21 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  10. ↑ "Экс-посол Азербайджана Ариф Мамедов: Ильхам Алиев – фашист" (in Russian). Infoteka24. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.