US envoy urges Azeri govt to free protesters
BAKU – US Ambassador in Baku Matthew Bryza has called on the Azerbaijani government to swiftly release those detained during the radical opposition’s rally in downtown Baku on Saturday.
Bryza told reporters Monday that Azerbaijani citizens have the right to express their views freely. "We would like for Azerbaijan’s legal, governmental and judiciary systems to protect this right."
During the unauthorized rally, organized by the Public Chamber umbrella opposition group, 70 people were detained, according to official sources, while the opposition put the figure at more than 200.
Four officials of Musavat and Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP) faced charges of staging or involvement in violations of public order. On Monday, head of Musavat party’s Executive Office Arif Hajili, chairman of Musavat’s Youth Organization Tural Abbasli, and APFP member Mahammad Majidli were ordered held in detention for two months. APFP deputy chairman Fuad Gahramanli was released from custody pending completion of the investigation.
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