Despite a warning from the police, on 3 November the opposition party Musavat held an
unauthorized picket
outside the Baku mayor’ office.
Dozens of party activists gathered outside the mayor’s office and chanted “Azadlig!” (“Freedom!”). At the end of the protest, police detained Musavat’s deputy chairmen Tofig Yagublu, Elman Fattah, and Sakhavat Soltanli, as well as several other party members.
On 30 October, the Baku mayor’s office rejected an appeal submitted by Musavat to hold a demonstration, citing restrictions on gatherings within a radius of 200 meters from executive authority administrative buildings in districts and towns of Azerbaijan.
The Musavat party deemed the decision illegal and sent one more appeal to the Baku mayor’s office but did not receive a reply.
Sahlab Baghirov, a deputy chief of the Central Police Department,
warned
in the run-up to the protest that no unauthorized rallies could be held in the capital city.
“No rallies or pickets not coordinated with the Baku city executive authorities will be allowed,” Baghirov said. “We will thwart any attempts at holding an unauthorized picket in the capital city in violation of the law and public order. People making such attempts will be brought to justice.”
