Azerbaijani police used force against citizens attempting to prevent termination of a park in Nizami district of Baku

A clash occurred between residents of the houses, located in quarter 2517/2518 at Qara Qarayev street and officials of the 25th police station of Nizami district on Monday, May 12 on the first working day following the festivities, arranged on the occasion of the Day of Victory and Heydar Aliyev's 85th jubilee. The cause the the intention of the police to protect workers, who tried to fence a small park between the houses, from the residents.

According to Zerkalo, about 30 workers, protected by 20-22 policemen and several officials started to pull down arbors, dig holes and establish fences. Yet the residents of the houses prevented their actions. The workers were protected by policemen who used batons, legs and fists. Yet the residents managed to resist. In the result, the residents load the materials, brought by the workers, to cars and drove them away from the territory.

In other words, the counteraction lasted for about 1.5 hours and ended in a temporary victory of the citizen. Yesterday, the author of this article went to the spot but found no traces of the local fight. Though, according to the chairman of the housing cooperative Aviator Haji Elshad Mirzoyev, there are injured among the residents. "We have recorded the events and sent a copy to Minister of Internal Affairs Ramil Usubov", he noted.

So what caused the actions of about 20 police officers led by chief of department Akif Nazarov, who decided to protect the workers from the residents? We tried to find an answer to the question in the Aviator cooperative, Nizami district executive powers, Baku city administration and Interior Minister. And we have learned the following.

According to Mirzoyev, by decision of the capital city administration in 1985 the house building cooperative Aviator was alloted a site for construction of 16-story buildings. "The park, like other establishments, is inside the red line, which marks the borders of the area, alloted to us. Certainly, there was a site, where adults could have a rest and children play between the buildings, designed for 222 families. Within these years residents planted trees and local powers set arbors and benches. Now this site has taken someone's fancy. But we will not allow to deprive the residents of rest", said the chairma of the cooperative.

Mirzoyev noted that the decision of the Baku city administration is needed for allocation of a land and construction. "A person, who introduced himself as Muzahim, said he has appealed to the district executive powers with a request to allow him to construct a four-storied office on the disputable area. He has only the conclusion of the architect, who pointed out the possible construction on the area, yet refused to give us a copy of the document", he continued.

"It seems that the closer the presidential elections are, the more frequently, some definite persons want to cause resentment of the population. I see it from the newspapers and I do not understand the actions of the district powers. I and other members of the cooperative administration visited the deputy chief of executive powers of the region Arrakhman Hasanov. He said the documents of the cooperative have lost their force, as they were issued in the Soviet time. My birth certificate was also issued in the Soviet time. Does it mean that it has lost its power?-says member of the cooperative administration Tair Tairov with irony.

He said after the Monday events, the members of the cooperative appealed to President of the country Ilham Aliyev with a request to held prevent the destruction of the park, intended for citizen's rest. "There are sufficient number of trade establishments there. We have called out park Heydar's Park. The residents need a place to have a rest", says the appeal.

Deputy chief of the Nizami district executive powers Arrahman Hasanov was hospitable to us and voiced good words, addressed to the Zerkalo newspaper: "Your newspaper highlights the events objectively and we learn many interesting things from you.

Then within 10-15 minutes, Hasanov spoke on the opening of te first two arks named after Heydar Aliyev in this very Nizami district, on the prohibition to interfere with the activity of entrepreneurs. According to him, the construction, conducted in the country evidences country's development. As for the permission for construction of the office in the place of the park, according to Hasanov, the permission was issued by the Baku city administration. After our request to show the said permission, the deputy chief called someone (we suppose to the chief of the district executive powers) and after that he stated readiness to answer all the questions only after the written appeal and made a hint to the completion of the conversation.

THe press service for the capital city administration told us that they do not have any information regarding construction in the place of a park and noted that the decision about allocation of sites are passed by chiefs of districts independently.

As for participation of the police, according to the official of the press service for the Internal Ministry, Ehsan Zahidov, they arrived to the spot by the preliminary request of the entrepreneur. "He has appealed to the police, complaining on the actions of citizens, who hindered his activity on building a clinics on the basis of the permission of the Baku city administration. He asked the police to protect him from the attacks of citizens, not to let them destroy the property. The police arrived to prevent possible violation of public order. Our officials explained to the citizens that their actions are illegal. There have been any clashes and even so more traumas and injuries", said Zahidov.

Intigan Aliyev, chairman of the Society of Legal Enlightenment and famous lawyer, has different opinion. He considers that if the citizens hindered the legal activity of the entrepreneur and there was a threat to his property, he should have appealed to the court. "If the court recognized his activity as legal and passed the due resolution, whose execution would be hindered by the citizens, only then would the police have a right to come to the spot after invitation of the court executers", he noted.

/Zerkalo/