HOMEPAGE

On Oct 1, 2009, E.Majidli, representing the AN Network, and the Chairman of the Committee of Human Rights, C.Ganizade, met with High Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, T.Hammarberg.

read more

In the court session on bloggers case which took place on Oct 1, 2009, defense attorney presented photos to the court evidencing that statement of investigation, testimonies of victims and witnesses for prosecution are untrue.

read more

Defense lawyers for two Azerbaijani youth activists presented photos on October 1 during the duo’s trial that appeared to cast reasonable doubt on the prosecution’s case.

read more

The defense began presenting its case on September 29 in the trial of two Azerbaijani youth activists accused of assault.

read more

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov says that the trial of two jailed bloggers must be allowed to run its course before it can be criticized, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.

read more

58 comments

Thomas Hammarberg: Bloggers case of our main concerns in Azerbaijan

On 1 October 2009, Elnur Majidli, representing the Alumni Network (AN Network) in France, and the Chairman of the Committee of Human Rights, Chingiz Ganizade, met with High Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe, Thomas Hammarberg.

Current human rights issues in Azerbaijan were discussed during the meeting held at the central office of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

Among these issues, the focus was on the arrest of young bloggers Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada, political prisoners and factors preventing the effective development of democracy in the country.

Chingiz Ganizade emphasized the importance of the High Commissioner’s support in these matters, emphasizing the poor situation of democracy in the country. He then requested the Council of Europe to intervene in the human rights field in order to assist in the improvement of the current situation.

Introducing himself as a representative of the AN Network, Elnur Majidli talked about the illegal arrest of one of the network’s co-founders Emin Milli and of the co-founder of the OL! [Be!] Youth Movement Adnan Hajizada. He also stressed the importance of the Council of Europe’s support in securing their release.

Thomas Hammarberg said that he is informed about the current situation in Azerbaijan and is seriously concerned about bloggers’ (Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada) arrest.

The High Commissioner also mentioned that the Council of Europe is following the trial attentively and that this case is one of their main concerns in Azerbaijan.

Referring to the existence of problems with national minorities in Azerbaijan, Hammarberg voiced his doubts regarding the death of the director of the Talish Cultural Centre Novruzali Mammadov, who passed away in the prison.

Chingiz Ganizade objected that there are no problems with national minorities in Azerbaijan and that Novruzali Mammadov as well as other journalists have been arrested for their political activity rather than their belonging to a national minority.

To the question of the High Commissioner as to which issue should be followed most closely in Azerbaijan, Chingiz Ganizade answered pointing out the existence of political prisoners.

Observing that since the 18 March 2009 Constitutional Referendum Azerbaijan has increasingly moved away from democratic principles, Elnur Majidli cautioned against the growth of serious threats to freedom of expression in the country and reiterated that the arrest of the two young bloggers was due to their exercising the right to free speech.

The release of arrested journalists was also touched upon during the meeting.

Thomas Hammarberg said that he will be visiting Azerbaijan at the beginning of 2010 and that he will discuss the above-mentioned issues during his meetings with State officials. During his visit, he is also planning to meet with NGOs working in the field of human rights and democracy.
10 comments

Committee In Defense Of Youth Activists / Press Release

Baku, Azerbaijan, October 1, 2009

In the court session on Emin Abdullayev and Adnan Haji-zada case which took place on October 1, 2009, defense attorney presented photos to the court evidencing that statement of investigation, testimonies of victims and witnesses for prosecution are untrue.

According to the statement comprised by the investigator of Sabail District Police Department Ziya Aliyev, police detained Emin Abdullayev and Adnan Haji-zada in the restaurant “Lebanese” and delivered them to the Sabail District Police Station №9 as hooliganism suspects whereupon they were arrested.

Nevertheless, Emin Abdullayev and Adnan Haji-zada affirm that they were severely beaten by two unfamiliar young persons with athlete’s body (V. Mammadov and B. Huseynov) following which Emin Abdullayev and Adnan Haji-zada went to the Sabail District Police Station №39 in order to complain, where they were advised to approach Sabail District Police Station №9. After that they made their way to the advised police station to make complaint against the persons who attacked them in the restaurant.

In today’s court session attorneys of Emin Abdullayev and A. Haji-zada submitted the court photos which confirm that E. Abdullayev and A. Haji-zada were in the Police Station №39 after the fight in the restaurant (dated 08.07.2009) which evidence that statement of investigation and testimonies of witnesses for prosecution are not true.

N°1. Click to the article

Information on the above mentioned incident at the site Mediaforum.az (10.07.2009) where beaten Adnan ’s photos standing in front of the Sabail district police station N39 were loaded.

№2 This is Adnan Haji-zada’s close up photo taken by his friends on the day of incident.

In this sequence it seems that he is standing in the Nizami street, in front of the Sabail district police station N39.

№3. Beaten Adnan Haji-zada standing in front of the Sabail district police station N39.







№4. Photos of the same place where Adnan Haji-zada was standing on the photo N2, taken on September 20, 2009.




№5. Photos of the same police station in the Nizami Street from where the entrance of the police station is seemed.


№6. Beaten Emin Abdullayev standing outside the Sabail district police station N39 (08.07.2009.







№7. Yard of the Sabail district police station N39.






№8. Close up photo of the courtyard of the Sabail district police station N39.






№9. Emin Abdullayev standing outside the Sabail district police station N39(yard is covered with tile).





№10. Chair (is the same with in the photo N8) on which Emin Abdyullayev sat in the Sabail district police station. In this photo it seems that the coverage of the floor is the same with the coverage of the floor in the photo N9.
1 comments

Azerbaijan: Defense argues that photos vindicate youth activists’ claims

Mina Miradova 10/01/09

Defense lawyers for two Azerbaijani youth activists presented photos on October 1 during the duo’s trial that appeared to cast reasonable doubt on the prosecution’s case.

The hearing started with wry congratulations from one of the two defendants, 26-year-old Adnan Hajizade, a co-founder of the OL (To Be) youth movement, to employees of the General Prosecutor’s Office. October 1 marked the office’s 91st anniversary of its formation.

The trial continued with testimony from police officers who were on duty at Baku police precinct No. 39 on the evening of July 8, 2009. That is the night when Hajizade and fellow youth activist Emin Milli allegedly came to the station to report that they had been "brutally" beaten by two unknown men in a Baku cafe.

Speaking in a low voice, two of the station’s duty officers testified that they never encountered Milli and Hajizade at the station on the night in question. Defense lawyers then produced photos proving that Milli and Hajizade had indeed appeared at the station that night. The two police officers confirmed on the witness stand that the facility depicted in the photos was precinct No. 39.

Prosecutors sought a motion to exclude the testimony and evidence from the record, but the motion was denied.

Three defense witnesses, friends of the youth activists, went on to confirm Hajizade and Milli’s contention that they were assaulted by the two men portrayed by investigators as the victims of the fight, Babek Huseynov and Vusal Mammadov.

Huseynov, the defense witnesses testified, first spoke insultingly to Hajizade and Milli while the two were supposedly discussing "youth issues" and everyday life. When the pair did not respond to the insults, Mammadov reportedly approached Milli, asked what he was saying, and then head-butted him. Mammadov allegedly delivered a subsequent punch to Hajizade.

The witnesses claimed that Mammadov directed his punches only at Hajizade and Milli, while Huseynov prevented other cafГ© customers from stopping the fight. The motive for the attack was unclear, they said. The three young men later claimed that Huseynov and Mammadov had entered the police station laughing. "How could they laugh if they were beaten up?" defense witness Bahram Ahmedi asked.

The defense will be allowed to invite a medical expert to the court to explain the results of an examination performed on Hajizade and Milli. The trial is scheduled to resume on October 7.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan’s government is coming under increasing international pressure in connection with the youth activists’ trial. On September 28, Assistant US Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip H. Gordon told the United Nations General Assembly that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had raised the youth activists’ trial with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov, and had "underscored our interest in that case and our interest in seeing an open and fair process," media outlets reported.

US embassy spokesperson in Baku Terry Davidson told EurasiaNet that "we raise this issue in every meeting with the government." Davidson stressed that "the United States has a very strong concern about this, and really hopes the trial will have good results."

Editor's Note: Mina Miradova is a freelance writer based in Baku.

To read original article click here
1 comments

Defense witnesses testify youth activists were victims of unprovoked attack

9/29/09

The defense began presenting its case on September 29 in the trial of two Azerbaijani youth activists accused of assault. Defense witnesses flatly contradicted the prosecution’s contention that the youth activists were the instigators of a fight. Instead, the court heard testimony that portrayed the duo as the victims of an unprovoked attack.

Twenty-six-year-old Adnan Hajizade, a co-founder of the OL (To Be) youth movement and 30-year-old Emin Milli, a co-founder of the online Alumni Network, were arrested on July 8 for hooliganism after they allegedly started the brawl in a Baku cafe. They have continuously maintained their innocence since their arrest.

The September 29 court session began with testimony from four prosecution witnesses: the restaurant’s cook and three police officers who arrived on the scene the night of the incident. Like many of the prior witnesses, those testifying for the prosecution on September 29 gave vague responses under cross-examination. One police witness, for example, was unable to state what kind of injuries the complainants, Vasul Mammadov and Babek Huseynov, sustained during the fight.

"I don’t know," was a common refrain heard from all of the prosecution witnesses.

One police officer, admitting that both Hajizade and Milli had visible injuries, testified the two youth activists were arrested because "they had been involved in a fight." Milli, questioning the officer from behind the bars of the defendants’ holding-pen, wondered aloud why the police would immediately arrest the injured party: "You saw that we were injured and you arrested us. What’s the logic in that? Why arrest the victims?"

In sharp contrast to prosecution witnesses, two defense witnesses provided detailed testimony about the incident. Parviz Atayev, a friend of the defendants who was present during the altercation, testified that neither of the alleged victims sustained any injuries. Instead, it was complainant Vasul Mammadov who threw the first punch, he claimed. When asked to describe the defendants that night, Atayev recalled that Milli "sat down in the police station, and his body was trembling."

Both Atayev and the second defense witness, Orkhan Qafarli, testified that neither Mammadov nor Huseynov suffered any injuries from the altercation, but that Milli’s leg was injured and Hajizade’s face was bloodied.

A smaller crowd of supporters gathered again outside the courtroom, waiting in the rain to cheer the defendants.

This was the fourth court appearance for Hajizade and Milli since their trial began on September 4. Azerbaijani legislation does not include a "speedy trial" provision for criminal proceedings. Although the delays between each hearing can be frustrating for the defendants and their supporters, legal experts in Azerbaijan say the length of this trial is not out of the ordinary.

Meanwhile, international pressure on the Azerbaijani government continues to build. While in New York earlier in September for the UN General Assembly, Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov faced pointed questions during an appearance at Columbia University’s Harriman Institute.

No fewer than five participants pressed Mammadyarov about the bloggers’ case. Mammadyarov defended the independence of the Azerbaijani judiciary system and stressed it was not appropriate for him "to intervene into the investigation and trial." He assured the audience that "a fair trial is part of the whole Constitution of Azerbaijan."

After doubts were expressed that the investigation failed to meet international standards, Mammadyrov shot back that it was inappropriate to "prejudge ? before the trial will finish." He also criticized what he claimed was the politicization of the case. In response to a question characterizing Hajizade and Milli as the victims of human rights abuses, he scolded; "you are yourself politicizing the issue, which is absolutely unacceptable."

Hikmat Hajizade, Adnan’s father and Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Russia from 1992-1993, spoke out about his son’s detention to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Unlike Azerbaijan’s foreign minister, the elder Hajizade has less faith in the judicial system. "In Azerbaijan we have no courts, and it is clear to everyone. Somewhere ’above’ a decision is made," he said.

Reflecting on his son’s imprisonment, the father added, "Adnan chose to be an activist, has done a lot, and now he suffers."

To read original article click here
0 comments

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Rejects Criticism Of Bloggers Case

25.09.09

NEW YORK -- Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov says that the trial of two jailed bloggers must be allowed to run its course before it can be criticized, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.

Mammadyarov made his comments on September 22 at New York's Columbia University, where he appeared at a seminar.

Students, activists, and journalists used the opportunity to question Mammadyarov about the case of young bloggers Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada, who have been jailed in pretrial detention since July.

The two are being tried in Baku on charges of hooliganism and intentional physical harm after a scuffle at a restaurant.

Milli and Hajizada say the charges against them are politically motivated because of their criticism of Azerbaijani authorities, including their opposition to a referendum to change the country's constitution that was held in March.

Rights groups have also criticized the case against the bloggers, expressing their "profound concern" in an open letter to President Ilham Aliyev earlier this month.

Though the case has received international attention, Mammadyarov said he hasn't been following the trial closely and denied any knowledge of alleged irregularities in the case.

He said the most important thing is for the trial to be impartial and for observers not to make judgments before it is concluded.

Mammadyarov chastised one questioner for "politicizing the issue, which is absolutely unacceptable."

He said Baku is "implementing" and "moving forward" with its promised rights commitments to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Council of Europe.

He said any assessment of Azerbaijan's commitments should be made only of the "overall situation" in the country and "picking...one or two issues out of context is not helpful."

To see original article click here

Video from this event:

1 comments

Analysis: security risks – Saving staff from the slammer

21.09.2009

Rio Tinto’s and BP’s recent brushes with the law show the limits of how far companies can protect staff in dangerous parts of the world

In July, the Chinese ambassador was summoned twice to the Australian foreign ministry to be pressed for details of the detention of Rio Tinto’s top iron ore salesman in China and three other staff accused of spying. Stern Hu, an Australian, and the three others were detained in Shanghai, accused of stealing state secrets and bribing Chinese steelmakers. They each face up to seven years in jail if found guilty.

Meanwhile in Azerbaijan, BP, the country’s largest foreign investor, is making representations to the authorities following the arrest and detention of one of its local public relations team. Adnan Hajizade and a colleague have been held by police since early July.

These cases obviously differ in one important regard. Rio Tinto’s Stern is an Australian national, while Hajizade is an Azeri national. Yet both raise the question of what companies can do to protect their employees in the less-savoury parts of the world.

Many companies that operate in dangerous parts of the world employ heavy security protection for their staff and assets. Employees live in well-guarded compounds and in some cases are airlifted in and out rather than travel on dangerous roads.

Most companies also carry hefty kidnap and ransom (known as “K&R”) insurance, which provides access to specialist negotiators to secure the safe return of employees and materiel seized by warlords, pirates or other undesirables. Such negotiators have been very busy in recent months, given the spate of ship hijackings off the coast of Somalia, for example.

Coping with government

Of course, none of these safeguards is much use when the source of the problem is the authorities of the country where the company is working, as in the recent BP and Rio cases. In both situations, the employees were detained by legitimate government agencies, not criminal entities.

One would certainly not want to advocate that employees of international companies should be immune to the laws of the countries where they work. Take Iraq. There, western contractors were immune from arrest under almost any circumstances. This meant that even in the infamous Blackwater incident of September 2007, when the US private military company’s personnel killed 17 Iraqis in a skirmish in Baghdad, those involved were not subject to Iraqi law.

The simple truth therefore is that the sort of situation in which BP and Rio now find themselves is an unfortunate but almost inevitable corollary of doing business in countries such as China and Azerbaijan. Both countries have authoritarian regimes and are both inclined to use their legal and security apparatus as a tool of state policy.

BP and Rio are among the world leaders when it comes to understanding the risks inherent in the countries where they operate, and provide appropriate training and support to their staff; other companies are less good. The fact that even the best can still face difficulties should demonstrate to all companies seeking to operate in emerging markets the importance of a proper understanding of country political and security risk.

To see original article click here
0 comments

Witnesses give mixed testimony during second day of trial

19.09.2009

Several witnesses for the prosecution gave vague testimony yesterday at alumnus Adnan Hajizada and fellow activist Emin Milli’s hooliganism trial in Azerbaijan.

Unlike the first day of the trial on Sept. 16, spectators and journalists were allowed into the courtroom.

One of the men who said Hajizada and Milli attacked them, Babek Huseynov, said he had spent time in the hospital after the fight on July 8, but did not remember what he was treated for, according to the Turan Information Agency.

Huseynov also said that he was a wrestler in high school and trained for a time in martial arts, according to news reports.

After Huseynov made that statement, Milli asked how it was possible that he and Hajizada could overpower trained athletes. Huseynov did not give an answer, according to EurasiaNet.org. In Azerbaijan, defense attorneys, attorneys for the prosecution and defendants can ask questions of witnesses at any point during their testimony.

Huseynov and Vusal Mammadov, the other man who said the bloggers had attacked him, said the fight had begun after they approached Hajizada and Milli when their language offended some women in the restaurant. But a waitress at the restaurant where the fight occurred testified that she did not hear Hajizada and Milli use any foul language.

The owner of the restaurant where the fight occurred, the owner’s father and other witnesses who were at the restaurant testified that they did not see who started the fight. There were also different accounts of where Hajizada and Milli were when the police arrived.

Several supporters who had gathered outside the courthouse cheered “Emin!” and “Adnan!” as the defendants left the courthouse.

A date has not been set for the next hearing, but should take place within the next few weeks, according to EurasiaNet.org.

To see original article click here
0 comments

Testimony Given At Trial Of Azerbaijani Bloggers

18.09.2009

BAKU -- Ahearing in the trial of two jailed Azerbaijani bloggers accused of "hooliganism and infliction of minor damage" went into its third day, with representatives from international organizations and foreign journalists observing the process, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reported.

Bloggers Emin Milli, 30, and Adnan Hajizada, 26, were detained on July 8 after they were confronted in a restaurant and a scuffle ensued.

The bloggers reject the charges, saying they are politically motivated.

Babek Huseynov, one of the men involved in the incident at the restaurant, testified that he collapsed when he was pushed by Hajizada and that his nose was hurt in the fall.

Huseynov, who filed a complaint with the police, said he wrote "what the police told me" when was asked what he wrote in his complaint.

The court rejected a complaint from the bloggers' parents against officials who have refused to allow them to visit their sons in detention. The parents said they would appeal the court's decision.

At the first hearing, on September 4, the court rejected a request for the conditional release of the bloggers as well as a defense lawyers' request for an additional investigation into the charges.

Video recordings of the scene of the incident by security cameras and the mobile phones of witnesses were also rejected by the judge.

Six of the bloggers' supporters were detained at the second trial on September 16 because they were wearing T-shirts that said "I am also a hooligan."

On September 15, Reporters Without Borders urged Judge Araz Huseynov to heed the calls by various human rights organizations and governments for the bloggers to be released.

"We reiterate our call for the release of Hajizada and Milli," the group said. "They were arrested for political reasons and the charges brought against them are clearly baseless."

To see original article click here
0 comments

Sufferers mix testimonies at the trial of the bloggers

18.09.2009

Trial on the case of the bloggers Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli continued today in the Sabail regional court. Bloggers are accused of hooliganism at the restaurant “Lebanese” on July 8 in Baku.

Prior to the trial the lawyer Isakhan Ashurov asked the court to allow parents of the accused to meet normally with their children in accordance with the provisions of the European convention on Human rights. Judge promised to let them meet after the session.

Then the sufferer Babek Huseynov gave testimonies. Responding the questions of lawyers he confessed that deal with martial art Wushu.

Being asked , can Huseynov recognize the girls because of whom the fight began Huseynov said “no?” Then he repeat that Emin beat Vusal, and Adnan beat him. Being asked can he recognize a policeman who took him to police sation, Huseynov gave negative answer. He said stayed in the hospital 8-9 days, but could not explain what had happened to him, and said that he had a pain in his side.

Being asked what he wrote in the appeal to police Huseynov said: “I wrote what policeman told me to write.” Huseynov could not answer to the question how the accused could beat him, a sportsman. He said that he “was afraid to be arrested,” that’s why he gave interview via Internet. But Huseynov do not know the name of famous internet-portals of Azerbaijan.

Then the witness Ilkin Alizade, the owner of “Lebanese” restaurant said that he did not see the fight, and was told about it on the phone. The damage caused to his restaurant was about 40-50 manat. The accused did not pay the bill, but he does not have any claims against them/ said the owner. The other witness Dashgin Abbasov, working as a guard of cars in front of restaurant also said that he did not see the fight. He heard a noise, and could see how two men escaping the restaurant. Then policemen came.

The other witness, a waitress by name Gulshan told that at 18:00 six or seven people came to the restaurant. In 45 minutes two more people came. Then the fight began, but she did not see who begun first. The waitress said she did not see the girls because of which the fight began.

Father of the owner of the restaurant, Rizvan Alizade said he did not see who had started the fight. Contrary to the words of the owner of restaurant, Alizade and the waitress said that Adnan and Emin paid the bill.

Neither guard nor father of the owner of restaurant, nor waitress heard abusive language at the restaurant. But sufferers stated that namely bad language caused indignation of some girls, and it caused the fight.

The trial finished, and hearings have been postponed for uncertain period. On completion of the trial youth activists sang Azerbaijan’s hymn and cried out “Freedom!”

To see original article click here
0 comments

Reporters without borders call to release bloggers

17.09.2009

Reporters Without Borders urges Judge Araz Huseynov to heed the calls by human rights organisations and governments for the release of bloggers Adnan Hadji Zadeh and Emin Milli when they appear in court for the second hearing in their trial on charges of "hooliganism" and “deliberate physical violence.”

“We reiterate our call for the release of Hadjizadeh and Milli,” the press freedom organisation said. “They were arrested for political reasons and the charges brought against them are clearly baseless. We are outraged by the violation of their defence rights and the judicia bias that marked the first hearing.”Hadjizade, and Milli were arrested on patently spurious hooliganism charges in Baku on 8 July after being assaulted by three men, identified as lkin Alizade, Vusal Mamedov and Babek Huseynov.

The two bloggers appeared in handcuffs during the initial hearing held before a Sabail district court on 4 September, in a room that was so small that court officials used it as grounds for limiting the access of the public and press.

The lawyers for the defence asked for the hearing to be held in a bigger room but Judge Huseynov ruled that it should be held in the small room at the request of the lawyers representing the “victims,” who claimed that “state secrets” were involved.

The judge also rejected the defence lawyers’ request for an additional investigation to be conducted into charges. The so-called victims have never produced any evidence of the injuries they claimed to have sustained in the incident.

The defence lawyers also asked the court to recognise that the rights of their clients had been violated inasmuch as they had been denied access to their lawyers during detention. This request was rejected as well.

Additional evidence of the bloggers’ innocence (recordings of the scene of the incident by security cameras and the mobile phones of witnesses) was submitted to the court by the defence lawyers, but the judge rejected it. “If the court is impartial (…) it must take account of the videos,” Isakhan Ashurov, one of the defence lawyers said.

The court also rejected a request for the conditional release of Hajizadeh and Milli at the 4 September hearing.

The refusal to consider evidence submitted by the defence is a violation of the right to due process as guaranteed by article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, to which Azerbaijan is subject as a member of the Council of Europe.

The refusal to release the defendants between the preliminary hearing and the trial violates article 9.3 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This article stipulates that defendants should not be routinely detained when there are other ways of ensuring that they attend a trial.

The bloggers’ parents yesterday asked another judge, Elnur Hasanov, to allow them to visit the defendants, arguing that denial of visiting rights was violating the respect of privacy and family life as protected by article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. Consideration of the request was postponed until 17 September.

Zadeh’s father, Hikmat Hadji Zadeh, said: “Azerbaijan’s anti-democratic regime is doing its best to suppress expression, but the new generation and ours are continuing the struggle for free expression.”

STATE DEPARTMENT REMAINS CONCERNED ABOUT CASE OF THE BLOGGERS

US State Department has responded to Congressman James P. Moran's (D-Virginia) letter regarding the arrested Azerbaijani bloggers, Adnan Hajizada and Emin Milli.

According to Turan's Washington DC correspondent, the letter signed by Michael C.Polt, Acting Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs, says that the Washington remains concerned about the arrest and detention of the bloggers.

"Those concerns have been brought to the attention of senior Azerbaijani officials, urging them to release Mr. Hajizade and Mr. Milli, grant them due process and proper legal assistance and medicalcare. The letter further states that the State Department will continue raising this issue with the government of Azerbaijan" -said State Department's representative.

On August 24, Congressman Moran sent a letter to the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, where he expressed suspicions that the arrests were the result of politically expressed views of the bloggers and theconcern that they will not receive a fair trial in Azerbaijan.
He concluded the letter emphasizing that “it is important for the US to show that it is concerned when freedom of expression is stifled wherever it occurs.”

To see original article click here
0 comments

Isakhan Ashurov: Judge refuses to attach video-images from “Lebanese” restaurant to the case

14.09.2009

The lawyer Isakhan Ashurov met in jail with his client, the blogger Adnan Hajizade. Hajizade did not complain of conditions he is kept in, Ashurov said. At the same time Ashurov expressed indignation with the course of Preparatory trial which took place on September 4 and did not consider a number of principal appeals, in particular the appeal to attach video-images about the incident which took place in Lebanese restaurant and everything that had taken place is clearly seen. The court rejected the appeal to send an enquiry of Azercell Mobile Operator for getting hardcopy of telephone conversations of the participants of incident prior and after the fight.

Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade are accused of beating of three people, and they can be arrested for five years under the Article 127 (causing of less grave body injures) and the Article 221 (hooliganism.) Incident took place at Lebanese restaurant, but in fact the bloggers Hajizade and Milli were attacked. After they appealed to police against the hooligans, they were arrested as instigators of fight. Real reason for the arrest of bloggers became a satirical video-reel placed by Milli and Hajizade in Internet.

Trial on the case is planned for September 16.

To see original article click here
0 comments

Miklosh Harashti: End must be put to journalists’ harassment

10.09.2009

The young bloggers Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizada will not be deprived of freedom, Miklosh Harashti, OSCE special representative for media freedom, has come to such a conclusion after the meeting with Ali Hasanov, chief of the public-political department of the presidential administration.

Harashti called Azerbaijani authorities’ intention to cancel criminal responsibility for libel “good news.” The journalists must not be prosecuted on the basis of framed-up charges. The meeting with Hasanov has instilled Harashti with this hope.

Harashti said the convicted journalists should be pardoned by president. Asked if such a pardon is expected in the near future, Harashti said: “This issue is under discussion. We keep on insisting of release of the sentenced journalists,” Harashti said.

Harashti said that broadcast of Voice of America, Radio Liberty and BBC radio stations on local waves must be resumed. “Pluralism in media is impossible without that,” he said.

Asked about his attitude towards the Azerbaijani officials’ appeals to establish control over internet, Harashti said: “Control over internet can lead to negative consequences, because internet in Azerbaijan is the last source of pluralist information,” he said.

Harashti said it is impossible to impose restrictions on internet. “It is possible to limit access to one blog, but the same information can be found through another blogs,” Harashti said.

During his current visit Harashti has also met with Mahmud Mammadguliyev, Deputy Foreign Minister, Ombudsman Elmira Suleymanova and representatives of media and journalism organizations.

He has visited journalists Eynulla Fatullayev and Ganimat Zahidov in jail. But he was not allowed to meet with the bloggers, because it is prohibited by the law.

To see original article click here
0 comments

Swedish Youth Federations demand the immediate release of Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizadeh in a letter to President Aliyev

04 Sep 2009

Leaders of all the Youth Federations of the seven political parties in the Swedish Parliament, have in a joint letter to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, expressed their concern over the detainment of the two young bloggers Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizadeh. The letter states that the youth leaders finds the arrestment of Emin and Adnan politically motivated and demand their immediate and unconditional release. They also demand that all charges against them are dropped and that the perpetrators are brought to account. The letter is ended with a note to the Azerbaijani government underlining that the undersigned will continue to follow the case of the two bloggers, as well as the genreal development in the country.

To see original article click here
0 comments

Reuters: "Azerbaijan tries bloggers; rights groups concerned"

Fri Sep 4, 2009 7:22pm IST

By Afet Mehtiyeva

BAKU (Reuters) - Two opposition bloggers went on trial in Azerbaijan on Friday in what rights groups say is part of an attempt to silence dissent and serve warning to emerging online media in the oil-producing state.

Adnan Hajizade, 26, and Emin Milli, 30, were arrested in July after an incident in a cafe in Baku. They say they were victims of an unprovoked attack, while police have charged them with hooliganism and inflicting minor bodily harm.

They face up to five years in prison if convicted.

Their arrest came shortly after Hajizade posted his latest tongue-in-cheek swipe at authorities under President Ilham Aliyev in which he held a news conference dressed as a donkey.

Milli, a member of the youth opposition group Alumni Network, said the trial was a "political process" motivated by their online work.

"We are just expressing our opinion as citizens of this country. Such things (their arrests) happen only in authoritarian states," he told the hearing attended by Western diplomats and civil society representatives.

The judge refused bail and adjourned the trial until Sept 16.

The European Union has expressed concern over the case, and international rights watchdogs have warned of a crackdown on online media in the tightly-controlled former Soviet republic.

"OMINOUS SIGN"

"It's really giving out a signal - don't try to organise yourselves, don't try to come up with means of public debate and particularly don't try new media," Nathalie Losekootat freedom of expression watchdog Article 19, told Reuters.

In a statement, Freedom House said the case was "an ominous sign that the government is expanding its crackdown on freedom of expression to include new media."

Azeri authorities deny it is politically motivated, saying it is "an ordinary hooliganism case".

But opposition politicians and rights groups say Aliyev's government is growing increasingly intolerant of dissent from civil society and the media.

They accuse the West of muting its criticism out of fear of losing out on Azeri energy reserves in the Caspian Sea.

In July, the independent U.N. Rights Committee expressed concern at the blogger case, as well as reports of attacks on journalists, the closure of independent newspapers and removal of licences for foreign radio stations to broadcast locally.

The Aliyev family has dominated Azerbaijan for decades, first under long-serving leader Heydar Aliyev and since 2003 under his son Ilham. Rights groups say a personality cult built around Heydar has made dissent dangerous.

The government denies curbing freedoms, and points to an economic boom -- fuelled by oil -- that it says makes Aliyev genuinely popular. Economic growth has slowed considerably this year and last due to a fall in oil prices.

(Additional reporting by Lada Yevgrashina and Matt Robinson)

To see original article click here
0 comments

Freedom House: "Azerbaijani Bloggers' Case Widens Assault on Free Expression"

Washington
September 2, 2009

Freedom House urges Azerbaijani authorities to drop all charges against two young bloggers arrested shortly after posting a satirical video on YouTube showing a donkey giving a press conference. The trial of Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli, scheduled to begin Friday, is an ominous sign that the government is expanding its crackdown on freedom of expression to include new media.

A lawyer for Hajizade and Milli said they were attacked by two men at a restaurant in Baku July 8 and arrested on hooliganism charges after reporting the incident at a local police station. Hajizade is cofounder of the opposition group OL while Milli is a member of the youth opposition group Alumni Network. The men, who remain in pretrial detention, face up to five years in jail if convicted.

"The case against Hajizade and Milli raises deeply troubling questions about the rule of law in Azerbaijan," said Jennifer Windsor, Freedom House executive director. "This case fits a disturbing pattern under which independent journalists and others seeking to express themselves end up in the criminal justice system."

The internet is one of the only remaining outlets for dissenting views in Azerbaijan. The country ranks 168 out of the 195 countries and territories covered in the 2009 edition of Freedom of the Press. From an already poor level of performance, Azerbaijan’s press freedom score has fallen further during the presidency of Ilham Aliyev. Journalists are routinely threatened and assaulted with impunity, and five reporters and editors remained behind bars in 2008, with charges ranging from libel and defamation to tax evasion and drug trafficking.

The bloggers' case closely resembles that of opposition journalist Genimet Zakhidov who was sentenced to four years in prison last year for "hooliganism and causing minor bodily harm." Police arrested Zakhidov after a man and woman staged a brawl on the street near his Baku office. Other imprisoned journalists include Eynulla Fatullayev, editor of Realny Azerbaijan and Gündalik Azarbaycan and Nazim Guliyev, editor and founder of Ideal.

At the end of last year, the government suspended international broadcasters including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Voice of America and the BBC from local frequencies. The move came as the country’s leadership advanced a measure to lift term limits on President Aliyev, opening the prospect of a leader-for-life governance system. Azerbaijan experienced the greatest democratic decline of any of the 29 countries covered in the 2009 edition of Nations in Transit, Freedom House's annual study tracking reform in the former communist states of Europe and Eurasia.

"The government of Azerbaijan is severely shrinking the space for free expression, which has serious implications for a range of critical issues, including Azerbaijan’s ability to diversify its economy from reliance on the energy sector to its capacity to combat rampant corruption," said Christopher Walker, Freedom House director of studies.

Azerbaijan is ranked Not Free in the 2009 edition of Freedom in the World, Freedom House’s annual survey of political rights and civil liberties, and in the 2009 version of Freedom of the Press.
0 comments

BBC: "Jail threat for donkey bloggers"

Two bloggers from Azerbaijan are facing up to five years in jail after posting a video of a donkey giving a news conference on YouTube.

Shortly after the video was released, Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli were held on hooliganism charges following a scuffle in a restaurant.

Their lawyer says the arrests were politically motivated.

But authorities insist they are investigating a simple criminal case.

In the video, the donkey extols the benefits of living in Azerbaijan and praises the government for its positive attitude towards donkeys.

The video was seen by many as a send-up of government news conferences, which critics say are often little more than propaganda events.

"This incident is definitely politically motivated," said Adnan Hajizade's lawyer Isakhan Ashurov.

"My client did not beat anybody, quite the opposite."

The Azerbaijani government denies that the bloggers' arrest was politically motivated.

"People are not arrested in Azerbaijan because of political activity," said Ali Hasanov, a senior adviser to President Ilham Aliyev, in a statement.

"There was a scuffle between some young people and some of them were injured.

"Law enforcement agencies are investigating the case and will give an impartial assessment," he added.

'Black spot'

Speaking to the BBC, Elsa Vidal - Europe desk officer with Reporters Without Borders - said that press freedoms in Azerbaijan were almost non-existent, making it "one of the black spots of the former USSR".

"The situation is still severe and local public servants enjoy virtual immunity from an investigation from the press when they try and expose corruption," she said.

"There are no grounds for the bloggers to be prosecuted. They should be released and all accusations should be dropped.

"The authorities have more to lose in jailing the bloggers than in freeing them, but who knows what will actually be said at the trial?" she added.

The UN Human Rights Committee also raised concerns about the arrests, saying there were "extensive limitations to the right to freedom of expression" in Azerbaijan.

Supporters of the pair say the arrests might have backfired and given the video far more prominence than it would otherwise have had.

A number of websites calling for the release of the two men have gone live, along with a Facebook group with almost 1,000 members. There is also a video petition.

"Before the arrest, only a few hundred people had seen the video," Erkin Gadirli, a member of the bloggers' support group, told the AFP news agency.

"Since the arrest, the video has been seen by thousands and the number continues to grow.

"The arrest has only promoted the video."

To see original article click here
0 comments

Telegraph: "Bloggers imprisoned for posting donkey video on YouTube"

Mild spoof of their government and media lands two twenty-something Azerbaijanis in jail

By Emma Hartley
Published: 3:52PM BST 01 Sep 2009

Two Azerbaijani bloggers face up to five years in prison for posting a video on YouTube of a donkey giving a press conference.

Adnan, Hajizade, 26, and Emin Milli, 29, posted the satirical video, which has English subtitles, in a send-up of Azerbaijani government and media.

The video is tame by Western standards. Yet shortly after the video was released Mr Hajizade and Mr Milli were arrested after a scuffle at a restaurant in Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, and are being held under a two-month pre-trial detention order.

Isakhan Ashurov, the pair’s lawyer, said: “This incident is definitely politically motivated. My clients did not beat anybody. Quite the opposite.”

According to Amnesty International’s website, the two young men were discussing online activism when two well-built men were said to have approached their group, demanded that they stop talking about politics, and assaulted Mr Milli and Mr Hajizade.

The assault reportedly resulted in injuries to them, including the breaking of Mr Hajizade’s nose and injury to Mr Milli’s leg.

They went to the police to lodge a complaint. However, rather than allowing them to do so, the police detained first Mr Hajizade and then Mr Milli when the latter reportedly refused to leave the police station without his fellow activist.

Both are said to have been charged with “hooliganism carried out by a group of people”, which carries up to five years’ imprisonment.

The alleged assailants were reportedly discharged.

Azerbaijan is a secular presidential republic, which got its independence from the former USSR in 1991.

It is it is bounded by the Caspian sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the north-west, Armenia to the west, and Iran to the south.

Reporters without Borders, a Paris-based organisation, released a statement saying that the decision to hold the bloggers was “disproportionate” and “typical of arbitrary judicial decisions taken with government opponents”.

The UN’s human rights committee also raised concerns about the arrests and issued a statement condemning “extensive limitations to the right to freedom of expression in Azerbaijan”.

Although Azerbaijan is nominally a representative democracy and is a member of the UN's Human Rights Council, recent elections were contested and abuses of civil rights and freedom of the press are frequently reported.

The 2008 Freedom in the World report by US-based Freedom House, which tries to measure democracy and political freedom, labeled Azerbaijan a “not free country”. Freedom House was founded by Eleanor Roosevelt in 1941.

To see original article click here
0 comments

Protest Rally Was Held in Washington, DC in Support of Adnan Hajizada and Emin Milli

WASHINGTON. August 28, 2009. A protest rally, organized by Azerbaijani-Americans for Democracy (AZAD), was held today in front of Azerbaijani Embassy in Washington, DC, in support of the arrested bloggers Adnan Hajizada and Emin Milli. The action was called at the initiative of a group of Azerbaijani-Americans and was attended by about 40 people from different cities in the United States, including representatives of Azerbaijani-American community, Reporters Without Borders, University of Richmond and other American public.

Holding US and Azerbaijani flags, protesters chanted slogans and held posters demanding freedom for Adnan Hajizada, Emin Milli, Ganimat Zahid, Eynulla Fatullayev and other Azerbaijani journalists and political prisoners, and denouncing the repression of free speech and dictatorship in Azerbaijan. Some of the slogans included “Free Azeri Bloggers, Arrest Corrupt Azeri Officials”, “Ilham Aliyev, You Are Responsible For Arrest of Adnan and Emin”, “Freedom for Adnan and Emin”, “Respect Free Speech and Human Rights”, “Rule by Law Not by Force”, “Down with Tyranny”, “Long Live Republic, Down with Monarchy” and others.

A representative of Reporters Without Borders, Clothilde Le Coz, has read a statement at the rally, demanding the immediate release of Adnan and Emin and noted that “Hooliganism and defamation are the charges usually used in Azerbaijan to suppress free expression. These two bloggers have been paying a high price for the dishonesty of the authorities ever since their arrest, as well as other journalists before them.”

Some protesters wore donkey masks, recalling that one of the suspected reasons for Adnan and Emin’s arrest by the authorities was the “donkey interview” video made by their networks about the import of expensive foreign donkeys into Azerbaijan. One sign had a donkey mask on it with “$41,000 Foreign Donkey Imported into Azerbaijan” written below it.

The rally opened and ended with Azerbaijani National Anthem, and the famous overture of opera “Koroglu” by Azeribaijani composer Hajibayov was also played throughout the protest action. A petition was delivered on behalf of participants of the rally to the staff of Azerbaijani Embassy. Azerbaijani-Americans for Democracy (AZAD) stated that actions in support of Adnan and Emin will continue until the bloggers are freed. (Azerreport)

Video:



To see original article click here
0 comments

US Congressman James Moran: I Am Concerned Mr. Hajizada and Mr. Milli Will Not Receive a Fair Trial

WASHINGTON. August 25, 2009. As reported by Azerbaijani-Americans for Democracy (AZAD), US Congressman James Moran of Virginia, a member of the powerful house appropriations committee, has sent a letter to the US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, regarding the case of the arrested Azerbaijani bloggers Hajizada and Milli. In the letter Congressman Moran expresses suspicion that the arrest of the bloggers was motivated by their political views, and raises concerns that they will not receive a fair trial in Azerbaijan.

Congressman Moran further asks Secretary Clinton about the steps the US government is taking to ensure a fair trial for the two activists, and notes that “it is important for the United States to show it is concerned when freedom of expression is stifled wherever it occurs”.

Below is the full text of the letter:

August 24, 2009

Honorable Secretary Hillary Clinton,
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Madam Secretary:

I write to you concerning the arrests of Adnan Hajizada and Emin Milli in Azerbaijan. Mr. Hajizada and Mr. Milli were arrested on July 8, 2009, in Baku, on the charges of hooliganism. Their arrest received world attention as they are known civic activists and bloggers who have expressed opposition to the ruling government of Azerbaijan. It is suspected that their arrests were the result of politically expressed views rather than criminal acts.

I am concerned that Mr. Hajizada and Mr. Milli will not receive a fair trial in Azerbaijan due to a weak justice system. Is the Department of State taking any steps to ensure the aforementioned men receive a fair trial? It is important for the United States to show that it is concerned when freedom of expression is stifled wherever it occurs.

Your attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

James P. Moran

http://azerireport.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1558&Itemid=42
0 comments
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)