Demonstrators were outside hotel in Washington demanding the release of political prisoners in Azerbaijan
Bodyguards traveling with the Azerbaijani president, who was visiting Washington for the inaugural meeting ofDonald Trump’s Board of Peace, punched, kicked and chased protesters outside a Washington hotel on Thursday,video footage shows.
Demonstrators calling for the release of political prisoners were driven from the street near the motorcade of Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani leader.
The clashes broke out outside the Waldorf Astoria on Pennsylvania Avenue, blocks from the White House, where Aliyev was staying during an official visit.
Aliyev has spent more than two decades crushing political opposition and dissent in Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan’s embassy defended its security personnelin a statement, alleging protesters had “violently attempted to enter the protected area and took offensive actions against the Presidential vehicle” as Aliyev’s motorcade approached the hotel.
“The Presidential Security Service had no choice but to immediately intervene,” the statement said, arguing that any attempt to obstruct a protected vehicle carrying a head of state “constitutes a serious security concern”.
The embassy also said its personnel “always operate in strict coordination with the host country”.
Protesters told a sharply different story. Rahim Yagublu, 27, an Uber driver whose father is a politician imprisoned in Azerbaijan,told the Washington Posthe was struck in the jaw and kicked in the stomach. Adil Amrakhly, 35, said he injured his leg fleeing from the guards and that at least four others were hurt.
“We intended to hold a peaceful protest to demand freedom for political prisoners in Azerbaijan,” Amrakhly, who lives in Alexandria, Virginia, told the outlet.
Source: Drudge Report
