Azerbaijan opposition accuses police

On September 5 Secretary-General of the opposition Democratic Party of Azerbaijan (DPA) Sardar Jalaloglu requested Prosecutor General Zakir Garalov to punish police officers that had dispersed the DPA's picket in front of the Cabinet's building.

The action was held on August 27. The DPA activists were going to demand of the government to admit the former parliament speaker and the leader of the DPA Rasul Guliyev, who immigrated into the US several years ago, to take part in the presidential election. But about 150 policemen broke up the unsanctioned action by force, tens of the picketers being injured.

Jalaloglu says in his appeal that the policemen were under command of Arif Guseynov, the deputy head of the Sabailysk Regional Police Department of Baku. Jalaloglu asserts that Guseynov insulted and beat detained participants of the action. As a result of beating DPA member Ramiz Agayev got internal injuries and later stood an infarct; another activist of the party Saday Aliyev had his eye hurt, reads the appeal. The DPA Secretary-General demanded of the Prosecutor General that criminal proceedings be instituted against Arif Guseynov.