This is great news for the state of democracy in Ukraine - and pretty good news for Azerbaijan, too:
Azeri opposition leader Rasul Guliyev, who was arrested en route from the U.S. to his native country has been released from a Ukrainian detention center by a Simferopol court in the southeastern Crimea, local media reported.
The Azeri side could not provide evidence that the criminal case launched in Baku against Guyliev was not politically motivated. Most of the documents sent to Simferopol were reportedly only uncertified photocopies.
When I heard a couple of days ago that Guliyev had been arrested as his plane landed in Ukraine, and that Ukraine had been asked to extradite him to Azerbaijan I had initially feared that, placed in a difficult situation, Ukraine might cave in and extradite Guliyev.
They could very easily have decided that one man wasn’t worth the trouble of alienating a potential ally in the CIS, and quietly put him on a plane to Baku.
Happily, though, the Ukrainian authorities have decided that their relationship with Azerbaijan’s government is worth less to them than the freedom of a pro-democracy opponent of the regime, showing that the principles of the Orange Revolution are still holding firm and more than that - Ukraine’s commitment to promoting democracy in other CIS states also remains strong.
{ 3 comments }
ruslan 10.21.05 at 9:46 am
very nice article.i would like to ask mr bush to put more attention to azerbaijan republic than arab or afgan or pakistanis or what ever.azerbaijan have been fighting for her freedom for 9 years.longlive Caucasian people and freedom..
many thanksss
Daniel 10.22.05 at 8:15 am
Heh — now Siberian Light will no doubt be picked up as a “white power” website…
(Thanks for the update!)
naxcivan 12.11.05 at 12:44 am
“It must be thoroughly understood that the lost land will never be won back by solemn appeals to the God, nor by hopes in any League of Nations, but only by the force of arms.” adolf hitler. my main reason writing the quote by hitler is this azerbijan has done nothing during 11 years and is just lieing to the people of azerbaijan.the only way to get qarabag back is by war .armnian invaders won’t just give the land back .war is the only option.thanks for reading..
free garabag 09/12/2005 21:26
Comments on this entry are closed.