OSCE condemns government pressure
The OSCE Baku Office has today made a statement condemning attacks on members of the People's Front of Azerbaijan (PFA) party and its offices in Baku and Nakhichevan following the arrest of Ruslan Bashirli, a youth movement leader, charged with cooperation with Armenian special services.
The OSCE statement says a group of people armed with stones and sticks broke into the PFA office in Nakhichevan and beat activists who were inside on 5 August. At the same time, they wrote offensive lines on the walls of the PFA office.
Similar attacks on the PFA principal office in Baku occurred on 6 and 8 August. "I hope the government will take all necessary measures to prevent damage of private property, violence and unauthorised meetings that can worsen the election campaign," emphasises the OSCE Baku office head.