Written by David Brewer

The international community has expressed its surprise and disappointment at Azerbaijan’s decision to imprison two youth activist and bloggers following a trial condemned by many as political. The Council of Europe, European Union, US State Department, Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), and the OSCE have all spoken out against the sentences.

America says it “regrets” the decision to jail Adnan Hajizade and Emin Abdullayev (also known as Milli).

The US State Department says the court decision was a “step backwards for Azerbaijan’s progress towards democratic reform.”

America says the investigation was not transparent, the court hearing closed, and the legal charges disproportionate.
Washington says the whole affair throws into question the independence of the police and the judiciary in Azerbaijan and also calls into question the country’s stance on freedom of expression.

The European Union expressed its concern with the verdict and said Azerbaijan has committed itself to the principles of democracy, good governance and the respect for the rule of law and human rights, when joining the OSCE and the Council of Europe, as well as in the context of its relationship with the European Union.

A statement from the Presidency of the European Union said "the court decision may further undermine the freedom of expression in Azerbaijan."

Miklos Haraszti, the Representative on Freedom of the Media  for the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe), described the sentencing of two Azerbaijani bloggers as political.

"These new imprisonments cement Azerbaijan's image as the pre-eminent jailer of journalists in the OSCE region.

“Five journalists are currently in prison, several of them on clearly trumped-up charges following organized provocations and unfair trials," Haraszti wrote in a letter to Elmar Mammadyarov, the country's Foreign Minister.

"The severity of the sentences for these young bloggers and other journalists who have criticized the authorities, including the President and the Interior Minister, is self-revealingly political," Haraszti wrote.

The Council of Europe said the conviction of the bloggers was a blow to freedom of expression and raised wider questions about the indepedence of the police and judiciary in Azerbaijan.

"The disproportionate legal charges, the lack of transparency in the investigation process, the use of closed court hearings, and the failure to charge the other persons involved in the altercation raise wider concerns."

Media freedom groups speak out

Freedom House says the sentences threaten the emergence of new media in Azerbaijan.

“Making examples of Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade sends a terrible message about the scope of freedom of expression in Azerbaijan and suggests that the authorities believe they can operate with impunity,” said Jennifer Windsor, Freedom House’s executive director.

“The arrests emphasize the plight of ordinary Azerbaijani citizens, who endure daily injustices in a system that allows the government to operate with unchecked power.”

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Azerbaijan authories to investigate whether the two men were framed.

"There is a longstanding pattern of Azerbaijani officials filing trumped-up charges against journalists to punish them for critical or satirical comments," said Giorgi Gogia, South Caucasus researcher at Human Rights Watch.

"The case against Milli and Hajizade falls squarely in that pattern."

The CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists) Europe and Central Asia Programme Coordinator Nina Ognianova suggested the arrest of the two was organised.

"Police entrapment such as provoking a fight has become a tool for silencing critical journalists and writers in Azerbaijan.

"We call on Azerbaijani authorities to scrap these fictitious charges against Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade and release them," she said.

Reporters without Borders (RSF) described the sentences as "outrageous and unjust."

“This trial has been a sham from beginning to end and has concluded with outrageous and unjust sentences.

“How can a country that signed the European Convention on Human Rights dare to violate defence rights and free expression so blatantly.

"The trial was orchestrated solely to censor and punish two politically committed bloggers who dared to criticise the authorities,” RSF said.

Amnesty International says the two men are now prisoners of conscience.

"The charges against the two activists were fabricated to curtail their right to freedom of expression and in response to their criticism of the Azerbaijani authorities.

Both men must be released immediately and unconditionally," said Nicola Duckworth, director of Amnesty International's Europe and Central Asia programme.

Widespread international news coverage

The trial and its outcome has received widespread international coverage including reports on the BBC, CNN, Reuters and the AP.

The two Azerbaijani bloggers were found guilty on hooliganism and violence charges by a court in Baku.

Adnan Hajizade will serve two years, and Emin Abdullayev (also known as Milli) has been sentenced to two and a half years. It's understood they plan to appeal.

The two had been held in pre-trial detention for four months. They were arrested following an incident in a Baku restaurant in July.

Adnan Hajizadeh is one of the founders of OL! Youth Movement which has a Facebook site. The group also tweets @olmedia and has a YouTube site where it updates videos of the campaign to free the two.

Emin Abdullayev helped set up the Alumni Network (AN). Supporters of the two have set up an online video petition where people can post video messages calling for their release.

Earlier this year the two had staged an interview with a man dressed as a donkey, which was seen as critical of the Azerbaijan government.