July 13, 2009

AZERBAIJANI-AMERICAN ORGANIZATIONS CONCERNED OVER THE DETENTION OF YOUTH ACTIVISTS, CALL FOR THEIR RELEASE

NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES – Azerbaijani-American Council (AAC) and Azerbaijan Society of America (ASA) express their concern about the violence incident involving young Azerbaijani civil society activists, Adnan Hajizade and Emin Abdullayev (Milli), and their subsequent detention by the authorities in Azerbaijan.

On July 8, 2009, Adnan Hajizade, the graduate of the University of Richmond and founder of the OL! Youth movement and Emin Milli, a co-founder of the Western-educated Alumni Network, were reported to come under a physical attack of two individuals while dining at a restaurant in Baku[1]. According to the independent media rights watchdog, Reporters Sans Frontières (RSF), Hajizade suffered a broken nose in the attack, while Milli sustained a leg and other injuries[2]. Upon filing a complaint about the attack with the police, both Hajizade and Milli were detained on charges of hooliganism under the article 222.1 of the criminal code. According the spokesperson from the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry, the attackers were released as “they tried to restore order and had been beaten by Milli, Hajizade, and their group”[3]. The Court further sentenced Hajizade and Milli to two months of detention pending trial[2].

Both youth activists are the outspoken critics of government, particularly on the topics of democracy and civil rights. Most recently, they spoke up against the amendments to the law on NGOs currently discussed in Azerbaijani parliament, and prepared a video prank depicting an imported donkey which supports the rights of donkeys, plays a violin and comments on the proposed NGO legislature. The video is claimed to may have been the reason for the incident[4].

The U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan called upon the country’s authorities to ensure that a proper legal and medical access is granted to Hajizade and Milli, and to exercise a due process in the course of investigation[5]. Likewise, the governments of Germany, Norway and Austria called for an immediate release of the detainees[3] as did a number of local NGOs and Hajizade’s former employer, the British Petroleum[1].

Representing Azerbaijani-American community, AAC and ASA strongly urge the Azerbaijani authorities to release Adnan Hajizade and Emin Milli and to further pursue their case in a fair and transparent manner, in accordance with their constitutional rights. We also express our hope for a speedy resolution of the case in line with Azerbaijan’s membership commitments to the Council of Europe and other human rights organizations.

http://www.azeris.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=95:aac-youth-detention-2009&catid=3:pr&Itemid=2

[...] The most recent example comes from Baku, where two Azeri youth activists were beaten up by sportsmenki and tossed in jail for doing little more than having dinner at a downtown Baku restaurant.

Since this happened, I have been invited to no fewer than six groups that express support for them, but have not joined one. I feel bad about this, but the only things less effective than Azeri youth activists are the Facebook groups set up to “draw international attention” to their situation. (Harsh? I know from Azeri youth activists). Furthermore, they fail to achieve even that amorphous goal: the tepid support most of the groups receive does little but illustrate what is already screamingly obvious — very few outside Azerbaijan care what goes on there. And after generating all the international attention, then what?

http://quirkglobalstrategies.com/blog/?p=76

However, such criticism unfair, in my opinion. Firstly, because outside attention which results in letters such as Article 19, alerts from RSF as well as mention made of the case by the UK government and EU on Aliyev’s visit to England are necessary.

Secondly, when I look at such Facebook groups anyway, the majority of members are in Azerbaijan and citizens of that country. Therefore, not only are they using social networking sites well to communicate among themselves, they are also using them and especially blogs to take the message further.

These are all tools and they seem to be using them very well indeed. What other “offline” actions they’re planning is known only to them.

Azerbaijan: ARTICLE 19 Deplores Harassment of Internet Journalists

ARTICLE 19 calls on the Government of Azerbaijan to immediately drop the politically-motivated charges of hooliganism against two journalists, Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade, who are currently being held in pre-trial detention.

Milli, who works for ANTV Online, and Hajizade, a video blogger, were detained on 8 July 2009, after they reported being assaulted in a Baku restaurant to police. They were allegedly attacked in a restaurant by two individuals who demanded that they stop discussing politics; Milli and Hajizade had been sitting with a group of young people, discussing the activities of their youth organisations. When Milli and Hajizade appealed to police at the Sabail District Police Department and requested medical assistance, they were instead detained under charges of “hooliganism” (under Article 221.2.1 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code). On 10 July, the Sabail District Court ordered Milli and Hajizade to be detained for two months in pre-trial detention.

ARTICLE 19 is concerned that these events are another measure by the Azerbaijani authorities to silence independent and opposition journalists.

This is not the first time the Azerbaijani authorities have used criminal charges, such as “hooliganism” to intimidate journalists in cases considered to be politically motivated. In November 2007, the editor-in-chief of opposition newspaper Azadliq, Ganimat Zahid, was arrested and sentenced to four years in prison in March 2008. A similar charge was used in the case of Yeni Musavat columnist Mahal Ismayiloglu, who was convicted on 1 July 2009 and received a two-year suspended sentence.

“It is unacceptable that these two men, who were subjected to an unprovoked attack, should now face criminal charges,” comments Dr Agnès Callamard, ARTICLE 19 Executive Director. “The authorities are persecuting the victims, rather than the perpetrators, in a manner which looks entirely politically motivated.”

Milli and Hajizade’s detention happens against a backdrop of other disturbing actions by the Azerbaijani authorities, which have had a negative impact on freedom of expression in the country. For example, on 10 May 2009, police used physical force against four journalists who were covering events related to the annual Flower Holiday, as well as beating members of the public and detaining approximately 50 demonstrators. In addition, the Azerbaijani authorities have yet to disclose the findings of their investigation into the killing of 13 people at the State Oil Academy in Baku on 30 April 2009. Journalists attempting to investigate these killings were prevented by authorities from accessing information.

The Government of Azerbaijan has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and ARTICLE 19 calls on the authorities to respect its commitments under international law. We also request the authorities to immediately release Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade without charge, and to thoroughly investigate and prosecute those responsible for assaulting them.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• For more information, please contact Nathalie Losekoot, Senior Programme Officer, Europe, nathalie@article19.org ; tel +44 20 7324 2509.

• The “Flower Holiday” is an annual celebration of the birthday of former President Geydar Aliyev on 10 May. This year students called for it to be cancelled, to commemorate 13 people killed at the State Oil Academy in Baku on 30 April 2009.

http://ol-az.blogspot.com/2009/07/celebrating-adnan-or-i-dont-want.html