Azerbaijan: Detention of youth activists causes storm in blogosphere

Mina Miradova and Giorgi Lomsadze: 7/22/09

The decision to detain two youth activists and bloggers on charges of hooliganism is stoking concern in Azerbaijan about the future of the country's nascent blogosphere, arguably among the most robust in the South Caucasus. Some observers believe that a government attempt to clamp down on new media will only cause the blogosphere to blossom.

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 AN Network, were arrested on July 8 when they complained to police about an assault by two unknown males in a Baku cafe. The pair, both foreign-educated and known for their criticism of government policies, was charged with hooliganism and detained pending trial. They face potential five-year prison sentences.

On July 23, a Baku district court will hear Hajizade and Milli's own complaint against the Sabail District police for "harassment and ill-treatment." Many Azerbaijani and international observers express the belief that the ongoing detention of the two youth activists is politically motivated. The government, they argue, is striving to discourage open political discourse, especially via new forms of mass communication.

Especially in the wake of post-election turmoil in Iran, Azerbaijan's southern neighbor, Azerbaijani officials have become acutely aware of the Internet's power to abet opposition to government policies. With the government holding a near-monopoly on traditional media, young Azerbaijanis have increasingly turned to the Internet to disseminate alternative ideas. Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogs, and online forums have become the media of choice for many.

It would seem that a piece of political satire posted on YouTube is what got Hajizade and Milli in trouble with authorities. The satirical video clip assembled by Milli features a donkey, played by Hajizade, holding a press conference at which he describes Azerbaijan's advantages for donkeys. The piece is a rip on reports that the Azerbaijani government imported high-priced donkeys. Journalists in the clip address the donkey as "Esel ["donkey" in German] Heinz," but render the name so that in Azeri it sounds like "Mr. President."

The arrests seem related to a string of recent developments indicative of a government attempt to arrest civil society development in Azerbaijan. Earlier in 2009, officials banned Azerbaijan-based broadcasts by international media outlets and attempted to restrict non-governmental organization activities.

In a July 21 statement about the arrests, the Institute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) asserted that "high-ranked government officials" seek to restrict new media as well. Officials have "repeatedly talked about the need to establish control over online media," commented IRFS Executive Director Emin Huseynov.

After the arrest of Milli and Hajizade, other bloggers may become more cautious in their writing, he continued. "We expect that some young bloggers will stop the open expression of their thoughts. They will change tactics and even operate in a concealed way," Huseynov said.

On July 20, a Baku appeals court rejected a petition to release the pair from pre-trial detention. The decision reinforced concern that the case is intended to send a message. Even so, several observers, including Huseynov, believe the arrests "will not have a long-term effect" on the Azerbaijani blogosphere.

"Online publications about this incident and the trial, new campaigns for protection of their rights can turn the two young bloggers into heroes," he said, adding that the publicity surrounding the case could backfire on the government and "boost blogging and online media."

Milli and Hajizade's supporters have raised the alert using online resources, particularly on Facebook, which hosts a video petition for their release from jail. OL's blog features video appeals from young people worldwide that ask the government "to end this lawlessness." Other youth group activists set up a Youth Rights' Protection Movement, which already has attracted about 1,000 supporters via Facebook and Yahoo.

"A goal of this [online] movement is to unify active young people, not only as groups, but also as individuals," commented OL board member Parvana Persiani. "These people understand that if they keep silent today and continue to live as usual, tomorrow it will be their turn."

AN Network co-founder Elnura Jivazade says that the number of AN activists appears to be growing since the arrests, but could not cite numbers. "Young people have become more united and those who were cautious about expressing their thoughts, now openly express their protest," she said.

Government supporters are using the Web as well. On July 20, the pro-government Day.az news site published testimonies and pictures of the alleged victims of the July 8 cafe brawl involving Milli and Hajizade.

Milli's attorney Elton Guliev said that he plans to appeal the Baku court's refusal to release the activists from prison to the European Court of Human Rights. Meanwhile, the international outcry shows no sign of diminishing, despite a July 17 government request for embassies to drop the matter.

German Human Rights Commissioner Gunter Nooke is among the diplomats who have spoken out against the arrests. Milli was supposed to serve as a translator for Nooke, but was arrested the day before the German official arrived in Baku. "It's a political trial and the activists are tried for what they had been doing," alleged Nooke, who claimed that the two men had been entrapped in a "political provocation."

On a July 20 visit to Baku, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt told reporters that he had "informed President Ilham Aliyev about [the European Union's] concern over the arrest of the youth activists;" a concern echoed in a statement from the ambassadors of the EU's 27 member states.

Watchdog organizations have followed suit. At a July 20 meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Committee, Article 19, a London-based human rights monitor, charged that the Azerbaijani government "uses criminal defamation laws and other seemingly unrelated criminal charges, such as 'hooliganism,' to intimidate journalists and silence critical views."

Reporters Without Borders seconded that evaluation, saying in a July 20 statement that Hajizade and Milli "have been paying a high price for the dishonesty of the authorities ever since their arrest."

For now, there is no indication that criticism will prompt the government to drop the case. "Unfortunately, in Azerbaijan, such processes are politicized and turned into a show, and later used against Azerbaijani statehood," scoffed Ali Hasanov, head of the presidential administration's public and political affairs department, in July 20 remarks to reporters.

One AN Network activist and blogger is urging caution for now, saying that efforts by online campaigners, along with international organizations and embassies, could end up prolonging the incident by causing officials to dig in their heels. "They just want to get out and we just want to settle this as soon as possible," said Nigar Fataliyeva, referring to Milli and Hajizade. "I hope that the police will come to their senses and will stop this madness. That's all we want."

Editor's Note: Mina Miradova is a freelance reporter in Baku. Giorgi Lomsadze is also a freelance reporter, based in Tbilisi.