No Orange Revolution In Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan Outlaws Orange to Prevent Revolution

Starting August 10, major shopping centers in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, are being raided by officers in civilian clothes who seize merchandise of orange color. Where retailers object their visitors threaten with police summons.

Retailers say they were warned in advance against selling goods of orange color and ordered to withdraw such items from their shops. Now, those who ignored the warning are watching despondently their orange merchandise destroyed in bonfires.

The government has repeatedly urged retailers to give up orange colored goods voluntarily. Those, who fail to comply, would face high fines, officials say.

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AZERBAIJAN: YOUTH ACTIVIST ARREST FUELS CAMPAIGN TENSIONS



The arrest of Ruslan Bashirli, head of the Yeni Fikir youth organization, is stoking antagonism between pro-government supporters and opposition members in Azerbaijan. Political analysts believe the controversy could damage the chance of a free and fair parliamentary election in Azerbaijan this November.

The young activist was arrested on August 3 and charged with plotting a coup attempt with financial backing from Armenian special services. The Azerbaijani Prosecutor-General’s office provided television channels with a video that depicts Bashirli signing a receipt for $2,000 and drinking cognac with two men identified as Armenian agents. The film was allegedly made in Tbilisi, when Bashirli traveled to the Georgian capital July 28-29 to attend a conference organized by the Georgian non-governmental organization Democracy Without Borders.

According to a statement issued by the Prosecutor-General’s office, one of the supposed Armenian special services representatives who met with Bashirli, Giorgi Ispryan, suggested that live gunfire be used during an opposition rally in order to undermine stability in Azerbaijan. The prosecution also alleged that Bashirli received support from the National Democratic Institute, an American non-governmental organization that trains political parties and civil society groups. The prosecution charges that Bashirli stated that he received "specific instructions" from NDI to stage a "revolution" – a charge that has been made previously against the American group by pro-government parliamentarians. The tape has been repeatedly aired by pro-government TV channels and even shown on public video displays.

In the days since Bashirli’s arrest, PFPA headquarters have become the target for regular attacks by pro-government protestors throwing stones, eggs, and tomatoes. City police, usually quick to crack down on unauthorized street actions, have not acted vigorously to stop the protests.

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MosNews: Azeri Opposition Calls for Street Protests Against ’Election Violations’

07.11.2005


The opposition said it had evidence of 21,104 voting irregularities in 113 of the country’s 125 constituencies. One of Azadlyq’s leaders, head of the Popular Front party, Ali Kerimli, quoted by The Independent, said, “this election did not reflect the will of the Azeri people. It was totally falsified. Now we will start the constitutional non-violent struggle for the invalidation of these elections.”

These were the most falsified elections in Azeri history,” the bloc’s campaign manager, Panakh Guseinov, said.

The opposition has planned a rally in the Azeri capital of Baku on Wednesday. It demands that new elections be held. Kerimli also said he wanted all parties and candidates whose rights had been violated during the elections to unite.

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RADIO FREE EUROPE- RADIO LIBERTY: Azerbaijan's Envoy To Ukraine Justifies Ban On Election Observers

7 November 2005


"Does a person who is coming to observe elections have the right to bring along 13 students to Azerbaijan with flags and T-shirts of your Pora civic organization?" Aliyev said. "We are already aware of Pora's actions in Azerbaijan -- they have sent packages of T-shirts, ties, and other paraphernalia to certain individuals to help them organize public disorders in Azerbaijan. Naturally, such people could not be allowed into Azerbaijan."

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BBC: Thousands join Azerbaijan protest

9 November 2005



Thousands of opposition supporters in Azerbaijan have taken to the streets to demonstrate against the results of Sunday's parliamentary elections.

About 15,000 protesters attended the march and rally, many wearing or waving orange flags in a reference to the success of the "orange revolution" that brought President Victor Yushchenko to power in Ukraine after disputed elections.

The numbers fell far short of the 30,000 to 50,000 the opposition had hoped for. But leaders said hundreds of other supporters had been stopped from joining the rally.

Sardar Jalaloglu, of the Democratic Party, said the opposition would give the government a chance to correct its mistakes. "If the people's will is not fulfilled... we will go into the streets with a total demand for [the government's] resignation," he told the crowd.

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RADIO FREE EUROPE - RADIO LIBERTY: Azerbaijan President Says Revolution Impossible

13 November 2005


Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, speaking after disputed election results, has said revolution is impossible in his country. Aliyev's remarks to Turkish media were released on 12 November by the state news agency Azertaj.

He said there is no chance the opposition could be thrust to power on a wave of mass popular protests, such as occurred in Ukraine, Georgia, and Kyrgyzstan.


President Ilham Aliyev (file photo) (epa)

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BBC: Azerbaijan protest draws 20,000

13 November 2005

About 20,000 people have attended a protest in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, a week after a parliamentary election they say were rigged. It was the second protest this week, aimed, the opposition says, at sparking a movement like the Orange Revolution that forced regime change in Ukraine.

The protesters in Baku waved orange flags as they marched to Victory Square, directing chants of "resign" to President Aliyev.



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BBC: Azeri police break up mass rally

26 November 2005



Police in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, have used truncheons, tear gas and water cannon to disperse a mass protest over the 6 November election results. Injuries were reported as they cleared a square on the city's edge where some 10,000 protesters were attempting to begin an open-ended sit-down protest. It was the first use of police force against a rally since the election.

Ali Kerimli, a leader of the Azadlyg opposition bloc, called on the protesters to remain in the square and begin an open-ended protest - similar to that which began Ukraine's "Orange Revolution" in Kiev last year.

Mr Kerimli later told Reuters news agency that a "lot" of demonstrators had been hurt. "We were having a peaceful protest which ended when police started to beat up unarmed people," he said.

Some of the injured appeared seriously hurt, witnesses said

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November 06, 2008


The United States and Europe are reacting with concern to Azerbaijan's proposal to discontinue local radio broadcasts of international media such as Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), the Voice of America (VOA) and the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) at the end of the year.

Today, the U.S. Department of State, issued this statement:

* "The United States is deeply concerned by reports that Azerbaijan’s National Television and Radio Council may discontinue local radio broadcasts of international media...The United States believes that international broadcasters such as Voice of America, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the BBC have enriched public debate in Azerbaijan and contribute to Azerbaijan’s democratic development. Discontinuing such broadcasts would send a disturbing message. We are seeking clarification from the Government of Azerbaijan."

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