Azeri pressure group pickets parliament over Armenian presence at NATO
seminar
ANS TV, Baku
4 Nov 04
[Presenter] Taking an opportunity of NATO Secretary-General Jaap de
Hoop Scheffer’s visit [to Azerbaijan], members of the Karabakh
Liberation Organization KLO] have protested against the participation
of Armenian MPs in the 58th Rose-Roth seminar of the NATO
Parliamentary Assembly due in Baku on 26-28 November. The KLO members
staged a picket outside the Milli Maclis [Azerbaijani parliament].
[Correspondent, over video of protesters outside parliament] The KLO
members expressed their protest at the participation of the Armenian
MPs in the NATO Parliamentary Assembly’s Rose-Roth seminar in Baku in
a more original way. Since law-enforcement bodies did not know that
members of the organization would picket the Milli Maclis, nobody
interfered in the protest. First, the protesters scattered leaflets
with various slogans outside the parliament building. The following
slogans were on these leaflets: “We are calling on the Azerbaijani
people to more actively protest against the visit of Armenian
representatives to Baku”, “Down with Armenian criminals”, “Yes to NATO
without aggressor Armenia”, “No to NATO protecting Armenia” etc.
The KLO members did not meet any obstacle till the door of the Milli
Maclis. The KLO first deputy chairman, first-grade Karabakh disabled
Firudin Mammadov, made an address.
[Firudin Mammadov, captioned] We do not have anything against
Azerbaijan’s relations with NATO. But NATO and all world organizations
should know that the Azerbaijani people and state have principles, and
Azerbaijan’s lands have been occupied by Armenia. And we are against
that occupation. We do not have any other principles.
[Correspondent] The pickets chanted other slogans too.
[Pickets shown waving their arms and chanting “Either Karabakh or
death, either Karabakh or death”].
[Correspondent] Although several policemen standing aside did not
interfere, top guards arrived and started dispersing the pickets after
the resolution was read out. But no particular violence was allowed
and nobody was detained. The detention of the protesters started only
after the delayed arrival of the employees of the Sabayil district
police department [in Baku]. When the policemen arrived, the
protesters were already trying to sit in their cars and drive away
from the parliament building. But the police pushed the protesters,
including drivers, out of the cars and took them to the station No 9
of the Sabayil district police department.
Rasad Isgandarov, Mahir Mammadli, Ibrahim Telmanoglu for ANS.