22:30, 15 May 2007

Azerbaijan: police disperses a picket of journalists

Today, about 50 journalists tried to hold a non-sanctioned picket in Sabir mini-garden in the centre of Baku, capital of Azerbaijan. Journalists protested against use of violence and arrests in relation to press and media professionals.

However, at the very beginning, reinforced police squads pushed the journalists who were chanting "Freedom to the press!" out of Sabir mini-garden in direction of "Baky Soveti" metro station. The police have not allowed the picketers to read out the resolution of the picket that contains the demand to promptly detect and punish the murderers of Elmar Guseinov, to release all earlier convicted journalists and to put an end to violence against mass media employees.

Besides, the policemen, having noticed posters with Einullah Fatullaev portraits in hands of the journalists, attacked them and took away the posters by physical force.

Author: Zaur Rasulzade, CK correspondent