Azerbaijan: force applied to journalists at protest action

On June 13, about one hundred of parents of high school graduates who failed their test examination came to the building of the Parliament of Azerbaijan to express their protest against the new procedure of issuing certificates. A conflict burst out between the journalists who covered the action and law enforcement bodies.

Earlier, the protesters already held their actions before the Ministry of Education and the President's Administration on June 11 and 12. They voice against a new rule, according to which those who fail their test examination lose their right to enter higher schools. The parents are convinced that during the test examinations numerous violations of the rights of their children have been accomplished, and their children received unfair marks.

None of the deputies came out to the participants of the action. The employees of the office of the Parliament have declared that the parents' complaint refers to the Ministry of Education, and they should address there. Then, the participants of the action were pushed away from the building of the Parliament.

Throughout the whole event, the security service of the Parliament would not let journalists to work - make photos, talk with the protesters and record their voices to dictaphones. In some cases, securities applied force against journalists.