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| Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia |
| 'State of emergency' in Azerbaijani city |
| 2010-09-10 |
| [Iran Press] Azerbaijan has declared a "state of emergency" in the southern city of Lankaran, after several religious figures were arrested in the city, reports say. The move comes after Azeri forces arrested a leading Shia cleric and a number of prominent religious figures during the ceremonies of the Night of Qadr from holy month of Ramadan, which coincided with September 3 this year. The people have held several demonstrations and clashed with police across the region since then. Azerbaijani government has banned religious ceremonies and even launched a crackdown on Quds Day ralliers. Several people were arrested during the Quds Day rally on Friday, when the demonstrators gathered in front of the Israeli Embassy in Baku and called for its closure. The demonstrators also called on Baku to sever all political and economic ties with Israel. |
| Posted by:Fred |