29 October 2003, 16:36
Crisis Center of the Federation of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan on lasting persecution of dissenters
The information and analytical Internet agency "Caucasian Knot" publishes extracts from the letter of Leyla Yunus, director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy.
Information of the Crisis Center of the Federation of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan
"On October 24-27, several dozens of people illegally sentenced to 10-15 days of administrative arrest were released ahead of time from places of detention where they had been kept under inhuman conditions; many of them had been beaten by police. However the hope that repressions and arrests in Azerbaijan are abating does not come true."
"Setting some oppositionists free, the authorities arrest others."
"Police officers rushed in houses of the oppositionists every night (almost every detention and arrest is conducted after 8:00 p.m.), break furniture, beat them and their family members, and arrest them."
"Members of election commissions and observers are still under pressure; the police continue to arrest them."
"Members of the opposition parties are being dismissed from their jobs; offices of the opposition parties are being closed in provinces."
"At its session on October 27, the Federation of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan decided to demand that the arrests be stopped, all the prisoners be unconditionally released, and election frauds be inquired into."
Source: Institute of Peace and Democracy (Azerbaijan)
