AZERBAIJAN: Bosses of an Azeri opposition political party and newspaper evicted from their central Baku offices vow to fight on
Record ID:
1537078
AZERBAIJAN: Bosses of an Azeri opposition political party and newspaper evicted from their central Baku offices vow to fight on
- Title: AZERBAIJAN: Bosses of an Azeri opposition political party and newspaper evicted from their central Baku offices vow to fight on
- Date: 28th November 2006
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE)(Russian) ALI KERIMLI, LEADER OF THE AZERI POPULAR FRONT, SAYING: "(Azeri President) Ilham Aliyev and his team want to restrict the chances of the opposition taking part in (presidential) elections in 2008. He knows these parties (the opposition) are capable of being rivals, despite the fact that we have an authoritarian regime, and despite the fact that the state and the government could use all administrative resources (at their disposal)."
- Embargoed: 13th December 2006 08:42
- Keywords:
- Location: Azerbaijan
- Country: Azerbaijan
- Topics: Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA1QC2R2WG0YMLE3ALBOQOSAV01
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Bosses of an Azeri opposition political party and newspaper evicted from their central Baku offices vowed on Monday (November 27) to fight their eviction order and continue work as normal.
Police cordoned off their offices on Friday (November 24) evening and on Saturday (November 25) took away computers and documents after a court decided businesses working in the building should be forcibly evicted because its ownership is disputed. Also thrown out of the office block was the Turan news agency.
Opponents of Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev say the move was specifically aimed at the Popular Front political party and the Azadliq (Freedom) newspaper and is nothing but an attack on human rights and the freedom of the press.
"(Azeri President) Ilham Aliyev and his team want to restrict the chances of the opposition taking part in (presidential) elections in 2008. He knows these parties (the opposition) are capable of being rivals, despite the fact that we have an authoritarian regime, and despite the fact that the state and the government could use all administrative resources (at their disposal)," said Ali Kerimli, leader of Azerbaijan's opposition Popular Front party told Reuters on Monday.
The newspaper has been told it can continue its work in offices on the outskirts of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan which borders Iran and Russia and pumps oil to the West from its Caspian Sea fields.
"There are different points of view, but for journalists including myself there is only one view: that this is an attempt to put pressure on the opposition and independent media. This is pressure on freedom of expression," said Elchin Sikhli, head of Azerbaijan's Journalists Union.
The national broadcasting authority also ordered Azerbaijan's top independent television and radio channel, ANS, off the air on Friday for operating without a license.
ANS has given Azerbaijan's opposition air time and broadcasts programmes from the BBC and Voice of America.
Aliyev took power in a 2003 presidential election dubbed below democratic standards by Western observers. Street violence marred the vote and parliamentary elections two years later.
Baku is the start point of a new pipeline which pumps oil from the Caspian Sea and Central Asia to Turkey and on to markets in the West.
When the pipeline hits full capacity in a few years it will carry around 1 million barrels of oil a day, making it one of the world's biggest oil transit routes. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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