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On Sunday, on March 10, at least 60 people were detained in Baku during a protest against the deaths of conscripts in the Azerbaijani army. Among those detained were prominent journalist Khadija Ismayilova, youth activists Turgut Gambar, Abulfaz Gurbanli Beyim Hasanli, Kenan Gasimli, Ruslan Asad, Rauf Mamedly, Ayaz Khalilzade, Aghababa Mamedov, Osman Akhmedov, Orhan Babaev, etc., the Azerbaijani news agency Turan reports.

The report notes that, according to the opposition party "Musavat", the detainees were beaten and gassed already in the bus. Baku police also detained a number of parents of soldiers who were dragged on the asphalt.

As noted by news agency "Turan", the action lasted for a total of about an hour. There were about 3000protesters at Fountain Square. The number of participants has increased due to the victims' relatives. The police was unable to stop the protesters and limited itself by calls through bullhorns, demanding from them to disperse.

Azerbaijani service of Radio Liberty reports that simultaneously with the action held at Fountain Square another action was being held in Baku Boulevard. In this action the members of the Youth Organization of the Popular Front of Azerbaijan were also involved. During the action the police detained several participants.

News agency “Turan” also reported that on March 9 Azerbaijani immigrants held rallies in Berlin and Istanbul against the deaths of soldiers in the Azerbaijani army. In Istanbul the rally began at 15 o'clock in Taksim Square, the participants called for an end to the deaths of a soldier in peace time. “Let the soldiers not to die, and the army not to turn into morgue!” dozens of people stated.

A similar action took place in the center of Berlin with the participation of human rights defenders and youth.

Note that Turan earlier reported that the investigating authorities of Azerbaijan who usually are chary of providing even the most general information about the investigation of criminal cases, have expressed a rare immediacy, broadcasting by television on Saturday night a "confession" of the “NIDA” movement activists who were arrested two days before and were the initiators and organizers of the protest against the soldiers deaths.

In a story which lasted approximately five-minute footage was shown from the interrogation of Bakhtiyar Guliyev and Shahin Novruzlu accused by Prosecutor General's Office and the Ministry of National Security of illegal possession of drugs and explosives. The investigator periodically asked them questions. There werer no lawyers seen on the footage.

The material notes that the two young men "confessed" that they really had bottles with "Molotov cocktails" and drugs at home. On the footage voices of activists were occasionally muffled when they seemed to mention names of other people. Only the name of the activist of “NIDA” Kenan Gasimli was mentioned, who, according to Novruzlu, get to know him from Facebook and invited him to join the movement.

Guliyev gave evidence that in “NIDA” they were prepared to show "violent resistance to the police, and to a coup." Novruzlu claimed that the drugs and "Molotov cocktails" were to be distributed to the youth during a protest on 10 March at Fountain Square. The third participant, Mamed Azizov, said that because the ordinary rallies did not give effect to the movement they dicided to use "Molotov cocktails."

“According to the story the authorities try to fully discredit the “NIDA” movement, which differ by being active in all protests during the past 2 years and more arrests should be expected in the next few days,” writes "Turan".

Earlier Civil Movement “NIDA” denied accusations of the MNS and the Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan, claiming that during the search of the apartment of three activists "Molotov cocktails" and drugs have been found.

The activists called on the citizens to take part in a protest against the numerous deaths of Azerbaijani soldiers in non-combat situation. Thus, in 2012, according to "Doctrine", the Azerbaijani military investigations center, 97 soldiers were killed in the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, 80% of which died in the non-combat situation. In 2013, the state bodies of Azerbaijan confirmed the death of 18 soldiers, 15 of which in non-combat situation.

In the first half of January, the death of Azerbaijani soldier Jayhoon Gubadova (born in 1994), who served in a military unit in the Ministry of Defense of Dashkesan region, draw a wide response. He was drafted in the Azerbaijani army two months ago and died on January 6, "as a result of cardiac disease." However, the relatives of the deceased passed to the media a photo and video footage of the soldier’s body, with clear signs of a violent death. On 12 January Baku police dispersed the protests against the deaths in the Azerbaijani army, which was attended by the mothers of the soldiers killed in the army. In connection with the continuing deaths of soldiers in the army, the initiative group in Facebook appointed a protest on March 10.

On 7 March 2013 "people dressed as citizens" detained three activists from the youth organization “NIDA” and took them to an unknown destination: Mohammed Azizov, Bakhtiyar Guliyev and Shahin Novruzov. Moreover, Azizov was actually kidnapped from the house. At the same time a member of the opposition party "Musavat" Mahir Bayramli was arrested in Ganja. The report noted that the law enforcement authorities give no explanations and the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan said that the they have no information about the incident. An official statement of National Security and General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan was issued later.