Azerbaijan, Baku, 31 July/ Trend corr E.Babayev / The Azerbaijani opposition Musavat party was not allowed to hold a demonstration in front of the Baku City Administration on 1 August. "Without mentioning any cause, the Baku Administration negatively replied to our letter in which we requested to hold a demonstration and said the step is not advisable," Arif Hajili, the head of Musavat party's central administration said to Trend on 31 July.
Musavat held two unauthorized demonstrations in front of the Baku City Administration within last two month. Thirteen activists of the party were arrested during Musavat's last demonstration on 11 July but released after warning.
Hajili said Musavat would not postpone the demonstration. "We will hold a demonstration at 12.00pm on 1 August at the decision of the party's Demonstration Committee," Hajili said, adding that the Baku City Administration's impeding the demonstration is against the law. He said the demonstration would protest against the restriction of freedom of assembly by Baku Administration.
Opposition Musavat party was established in 1992. Isa Gambar, the chairman of the party, was the speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament (1992-93) and a presidential candidate in 2003. Five MPs represent the party at the parliament.
The correspondent can be contacted at: [email protected]