Azernews.Az

BAKU – Head of an Azerbaijani state body on children’s issues has labeled taking small children to unauthorized protests "a crime", after a five-year-old child was taken to Sunday’s antigovernment rally in Baku, which was dispersed by the police.

Reports circulated that the five-year-old girl was detained along with her mother during Sunday’s mass protest staged by the country’s main opposition parties. But Baku’s police department issued a statement on Wednesday saying that Gulnara Guluzada and her daughter were not detained but were taken to a safe location, away from the protest venue, and released.

Hijran Huseynova, chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs, said the girl’s mother was to blame for what happened.

"If a parent fails to fathom his or her responsibility, taking their child to an unsanctioned rally, what can we call it?" she said. "In such cases the child’s health is endangered and his psychological condition is affected."

Huseynova said that "if a parent fails to get his or her child out of harm’s way, the government should do so", adding that the police therefore took the girl to a safe location.

65 people were detained during Sunday’s protest, which was organized by the Public Chamber umbrella opposition group.