Baku Higher Military School cadets commit protest action

Late on Tuesday, September 3rd, about 1,000-1,500 cadets from the Azerbaijani Higher Military School, situated in the suburbs of the capital Baku, voluntarily left the territory. The cadets committed this action of disobedience, protesting against toughening of the school regime, said the republican interior ministry. The police that immediately had been sent for, managed to return part of the cadets back to school. At night the Defence Ministry's senior officers, including the Defence Minister Safar Abiyev himself, arrived there for negotiations.

All night long the police delivered the cadets, who had managed to reach the city, back to school. The parents, who gathered at the entrance to the school, willing to know what was happening to their children, persuaded some of them to come back.

The Higher Military School education programme complies with NATO standards, with participation of Turkish military men. After a four-year course at school, the cadets are sent to the army. The first group of officers graduated from the school in 2001.