Adnan Hajizade: Azerbaijan

Status:
FREE as of November 18, 2010

Activism:
One of the founders of OL! Azerbaijan Youth Movement, a non-violent movement for education and development of youth. After elections in 2005, he took part in mass protests against rigged election procedures. He and another activist and blogger, Emin Milli, were assaulted in a restaurant. When they went to the police to report the crime, they were arrested and charged with hooliganism due to an online video of a donkey mocking the Azerbaijani government that they had recently posted on You Tube. They were sentenced to two years in prison.

Current Situation in Country:
Arrests of young activists, political prisoners and other factors are preventing effective development of democracy in the country. The High Commissioner has said that there are not problems against national minorities in Azerbaijan, saying that such minorities who have been arrested have been due to political activity, not nationality. As of a 2009 Constitutional Referendum, the country has moved further away from democratic principles and there are serious threats to freedom of expression and speech.

More Information:
http://threatened.globalvoicesonline.org/blogger/adnan-hajizada

Suggestions for Action:

Highlight Adnan’s activism in blogs and social media tools, especially the donkey video to show how unreasonable the charges against him are and to continue to spread his message:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhcOIIvyNhI

Share this video about his story, told from his father’s perspective: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17v0KkGDV1Y&list=QL&feature=BF

Write articles to the local newspapers encouraging international attention to the situation of digital activists in Azerbaijan.