On May 14, tens of political activists, journalists and human rights defenders held a protest rally at Baku’s Fountains Square to draw attention to what they called crimes and rising violence against public and political figures of Azerbaijan and the lack of punishment against those who order and execute the crimes.
The entrances to the Fountains Square were blocked by the police to prevent people’s movement to the rally site. The detainment of co-organizers and rally participants started before 15.00 – the scheduled start time of the rally. Though several participants managed to raise slogans and move forward toward the Interior Ministry building, they were accompanied by heavy police presence.
Tens of participants were detained brutally by the police and bundled off to the police vans. Journalist Nurlan Gahramanli, one of the detainees, reported that 26 people were being kept at only one police station, who were later released.
The main slogan of the event was “We Don’t Want a Criminal State.” Besides, the participants chanted and raised slogans, such as “Don’t Kill Justice, Don’t Commit Crime”, “I Don’t Wanna Die Because of System”, “Violence is State Policy”.
