(Baku, October 16, 2003) Azerbaijani police and security forces beat opposition supporters in an unprovoked attack on the day of the presidential election, Human Rights Watch said today. At least three-dozen wounded have been trapped inside the headquarters of Musavat, one of Azerbaijan’s leading opposition parties.
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Azerbaijani police are notorious for violently suppressing protesters. But this is the worst case we have seen during the election process.
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By 3:00 a.m., Musavat’s headquarters was still surrounded by police and security forces, which attacked some of those who attempted to leave the building.
“This is an appalling and unprovoked attack,” said Peter Bouckaert, Human Rights Watch’s senior emergencies researcher. “The Azerbaijani government must allow people to leave the Musavat building now. It is critical that the wounded receive immediate medical attention.”
The attack follows a pre-election period during which the government manipulated election procedures and violently repressed the political opposition. Human Rights Watch and local organizations have documented dozens of cases in which Azerbaijani police beat opposition demonstrators in the lead-up to the elections. For details, please see Human Rights Watch briefing paper Azerbaijan: Presidential Elections 2003.
“Azerbaijani police are notorious for violently suppressing protesters,” said Bouckaert, who was in the Musavat building just after the attack took place. “But this is the worst case we have seen during the election process.”
Human Rights Watch fears further election-related violence in the coming days. Human Rights Watch calls on the Azerbaijani government to cease further attacks on peaceful demonstrators, and urges the international community to press the Azerbaijani authorities to ensure that further violence is avoided and that those responsible are prosecuted.
