Anti-government demonstration in Baku on 8 August
11 August 2005 (RFE/RL) -- Reporters Without Borders condemned threats and physical attacks on a Baku building housing several Azerbaijani opposition newspapers and the headquarters of the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front Party.
Victims of the attacks blame government supporters for the violence ahead of parliamentary elections set for November.
The press-freedom organization, in a statement issued yesterday, called on pro-government parties and media to stop "denigrating and harassing" privately owned newspapers and to comply with the rules of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Yesterday, some 200 government supporters tried to storm the headquarters of the opposition Popular Front Party.
Most of the group were from the Muasir Musavat party and said they were angry over the opposition party's alleged connections to Armenian agents.
The U.S. Embassy in a statement yesterday also condemned the attacks on the opposition.
For RFE/RL's full coverage of events in Azerbaijan, see "News And Features On Azerbaijan".
The press-freedom organization, in a statement issued yesterday, called on pro-government parties and media to stop "denigrating and harassing" privately owned newspapers and to comply with the rules of the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Yesterday, some 200 government supporters tried to storm the headquarters of the opposition Popular Front Party.
Most of the group were from the Muasir Musavat party and said they were angry over the opposition party's alleged connections to Armenian agents.
The U.S. Embassy in a statement yesterday also condemned the attacks on the opposition.
For RFE/RL's full coverage of events in Azerbaijan, see "News And Features On Azerbaijan".