Opposition News

French embassy picket
The Muasir Musavat Party's board held its next meeting on March 5. During the meeting it was decided to picket the French embassy in Azerbaijan on March 12 at 15:00 to protest against the French stance in favor of Armenians in the settlement of the Upper Qarabag conflict, the party has informed AssA-Irada. According to the report, in the future, similar events will be organized outside the Russian and US embassies in Azerbaijan as well.

Protesters came out in support of exiled ex-speaker
Chanting for Rasul Quliyev to return Home, We stand up for Rasul Quliyev, Free and fair presidential elections, members and supporters of the Azerbaijani Democratic Party (ADP) marched from the 20 Yanvar metro station to the Qalaba cinema on March 9. The protesters demanded preventive punishment against ADP chairman Rasul Quliyev be revoked as it is groundless in terms of the law, and that the politically motivated lawsuit against him be stopped. The protesters urged the incumbent authorities to allow Rasul Quliyev to join the upcoming 2003 presidential elections in Azerbaijan, and President Aliyev to resign. Organizers of the meeting have told AssA-Irada that a total of 7000 people joined the rally, though the Baku Head Police Department refuted this figure, stressing that only about 1,000 men had participated in the protest action.

Islam-rooted party discusses anti-US picket  
In a protest against Washington's aggressive stance on Baghdad, the Islamic Democracy Party (IDP) has addressed the Baku Mayor's office for permission to picket the US embassy. In the letter, it was indicated that the protest action is due on Match 25, at 15:00. An IDP-placed source told AssA-Irada that despite discussions at the UN Security Council and the resolutions approved by the body, the Bush administration is not about to give up its aggressive ambitions, which in turn are threatening to fully undermine the outlooks for peaceful resolution to conflicts worldwide.

New Jewish synagogue inaugurated in Baku
A new Jewish religious community, synagogue, was inaugurated in Baku on March 9. Attending the ceremony were chairman of the State Committee on Religious Bodies Rafiq Aliyev, head of the Caucasus Muslims Clerical Office Sheik Allahsukur Pasazada, Gennadi Zelmanovich, the chairman of the European Jewish religious community that provided significant assistance to the construction of the synagogue, and heads of other religious entities in Azerbaijan. Rafiq Aliyev addressed the ceremony, saying that the Jewish community has always supported the people of Azerbaijan. A congratulatory letter was read to the event on behalf of the Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Eytan Naeh.The new synagogue was built in the site of the previous one.