Opposition News

Pressure group demands punishment of Armenia
The Qarabag Liberation Organization (QLO) was incensed at the action program submitted by the newly established coalition government of Armenia to parliament last week. The point is that under the program Upper Qarabag is to be included in the budget of Armenia, while a special paragraph underlines "Upper Qarabag will be never given to Azerbaijan". The QLO has issued a statement regarding the issue. The statement regrets that international organizations and states keep silent over the issue and take no step to punish aggressive Armenia.
The QLO considers that urgent measures should be made nationally and internationally to punish Armenia. The statement reads that the UN Security Council should discuss the issue on Armenia's aggressive moves and deploy concrete measures to fulfill UN Security Council resolutions 822, 853, 854 and 874. "The patience of the Azerbaijani people has been exhausted. International organizations must either complete the mission or keep away acknowledging their incompetence. The Azerbaijani people are in a position to liberate its lands from the enemy.

Japanese envoy meets opposition leader   
Chairman of the opposition-minded Umid Party, MP Igbal Agazada met with Japanese ambassador to Azerbaijan Toshiyuki Fujiwara on Friday, as the two exchanged views on strengthening of mutual relations of the two nations, settlement of the Upper Qarabag conflict and presidential elections scheduled for this October in Azerbaijan. MP I. Agazada said Japan is one of the seven mighty world nations, stressing the necessity of taking advantage of its experience in economic development.
Elaborating on credits granted and assistance provided by the Japanese government to Azerbaijan, Mr. Fujiwara, in his turn, stressed that his country would do its utmost to promote the welfare of the Azerbaijani state and its people.
The party has told AssA-Irada that the Japanese diplomat was interested in the activities to be carried out on solution to the Upper Qarabag conflict and economic development by the party in case it wins the forthcoming presidential elections. Mr. Agazada, on his part, underlined that his party would run for elections with "Our Azerbaijan" election bloc.

Police scatter unsanctioned rally
The police scattered the unsanctioned protest action arranged by the Azerbaijan Democratic Party (ADP) on Saturday. Some 150 ADP members attempted to march from the Qarabag Hotel of Baku along Tabriz street and rally in front of the Narimanov cinema at 5:00 p.m., demanding the revival of the party chairman Rasul Quliyev's constitutional rights and offering facilities for his safe return to Azerbaijan.
However, the protesters met the police resistance, as 20 party members were arrested for their attempts of showing resistance against the police.
Deputy head of Baku Chief Police Office, Major-Lieutenant Yasar Aliyev has told AssA-Irada that 5 to 6 protesters were apprehended for their resistance to the police and attempts of violating the order. Mr. Aliyev also said that the ADP-held protest action failed, while those arrested will be brought to court.
The ADP has told AssA-Irada that the party has appealed to Baku's Mayoral Office (BMO) to sanction the protest action. However, the Mayoral Office has decided not to sanction the march-rally, regarding inefficient to hold protest actions since the registration of presidential hopefuls with the Central Election Commission (CEC) has not started yet.