Police blocked entry to the village of Seyudlu

Baku/22.06.23/Turan: From the morning of June 22, entry to the village of Seyudlu in the Gedabey region, where protests by local residents have been held over the past two days, has been restricted.

On 20 June police officers used special means to disperse the protest action of the residents of Seyudlu village of Gedabey region. The villagers protested against the creation of an artificial reservoir for wastewater from the "Gedabey" gold mining and processing enterprise. 

According to local residents, about 10 people were injured during the protest. Five protesters were arrested administratively and one protester was fined. On 21 June, local residents continued the protest action and their representatives were received by the head of the Gedabey region.

On June 22, a police checkpoint was established at the entrance to the village and only those with local registration were allowed into the village, local resident Suraya Aliyeva told Turan.

According to her, there are "many policemen" on the territory of the village, who do not allow people to gather together to continue the protests.

She believes that local residents were dissatisfied with yesterday's meeting with Orkhan Mursalov, the head of the Gedabey region.

"He did not listen to us and only spoke himself. Now a government commission has been established. We want the commission members to meet with us, listen to our complaints, conduct monitoring with the participation of local residents. If they go only to the plant, it is better that they do not come at all," Aliyeva said.

The press service of the Interior Ministry confirmed to the Turan correspondent the restriction on entry to the village.

To ensure public order, entry to the village by outsiders other than local residents is restricted, the Interior Ministry said.

Rufat Safarov, executive director of the human rights organization "Line of Protection", in a conversation with Turan's correspondent described the police actions as unlawful.

 "The government, instead of listening to the legitimate demands of protesters and taking rational decisions, only deepens isolation and prefers to act by violent means," he said.

 "Of course, restricting access to Soyudlu village is contrary to national and international law", Safarov said.

Under Part III of Article 28 of the Constitution of Azerbaijan, everyone in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan may move freely and choose his or her residence and travel outside the country.

Under Protocol No. 4 to the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, everyone within the territory of any state has the right to move freely within that territory and to choose his or her place of residence.

In turn, the press service of the Ministry of Ecology informed Turan correspondent that members of the governmental commission are already in the Gedabey region.

According to local sources, the members of the commission visited today an artificial lake where wastewater from gold ore processing is discharged. 

The locals demand to stop the flow of hazardous substances from the enterprise and not to allow the construction of a new artificial lake to collect wastes from the plant.

Recall that Seyudlu is located in a mountainous area 450 km west of Baku. The Gedabey deposit has been developed since 2009 by the British company "Anglo Asian Mining". First gold production started in 2009.

A photo of the police checkpoint at the entrance to the village on the page of the "Azadlyg" newspaper.

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