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Head of OSCE Baku office called on authorities and opposition to avoid new coil of confrontation

Politics Materials 28 November 2005 19:36 (UTC +04:00)

The head of the OSCE office in Baku Mauricio Pavesi voiced his deep concern over the excessive violence by the police against demonstrators of the authorized oppositional rally on 26 November and urged all country’s political forces to avoid a new coil of confrontation, the OSCE Baku office report says, according to Trend.

According to Pavesi, international standards must be matched not only during the drafting of legislation, but most importantly in the implementation of the letter and spirit of the law.

"The principle of defending public order cannot be used to justify police violence, in particular when the demonstrators have not actually disturbed the public order but are in violation of administrative decisions”, he said.

"At the same time, I invite the opposition to refrain from actions that are only conducive to creating further tension and potentially radicalizing political life", added Ambassador Pavesi.

Pavesi voiced hope, that the recent declarations of willingness to start a dialogue, made both by the authorities and opposition parties, will result in concrete actions. The OSCE stands ready to facilitate such an initiative, if its help would be welcomed by both sides.

He also hopes that the events of 26 November will not be cited as grounds for imposing any further restrictions on the fundamental constitutional right to freedom of assembly.

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