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President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev awarded Deputy Chief of Baku City Police Sahlab Baghirov a higher rank of Major-General of Police. It was Sahlab Baghirov who has led police operations to disperse protesters, the Azerbaijani news agency “Turan” reports.

“It is this officer that has led police operations to disperse protesters with particular zeal, personally giving orders on arrests of oppositionists directly on the spot,” Turan notes.

In its turn, the Azerbaijan portal "Haqqin.az" notes that Sahlab Bagirov performs functions which was once performed by Yashar Aliyev, the chief "disperser" of oppositional rallies. As soon as Yashar Aliyev received a new appointment in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan, functions of rallies disperser went to S. Bagirov.

As noted in the material S. Bagirov, as well as the other general, deputy interior minister Vilayat Eivazov, began his career as minister’s bodyguard. He is also from Nakhichevan by birth and is one of the officers loyal to the minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan. S. Bagirov is always at the epicenter of clashes with the opposition.

There is a photo of General S. Bagirov in the article which is taken after the "battle" with the Islamists who had decided to hold an unsanctioned rally in front of the U.S. Embassy.