Azeri official questions reaction to sentencing of young activists

Mon 16 November 2009 14:09 GMT | 19:09 Local Time

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Ali Hasanov

Ali Hasanov, head of the Azerbaijani presidential administration's public policy department, has expressed surprise at the international reaction to the sentencing of two young activists.

The activists, Emin Milli, and Adnan Hajizade, were sentenced on 11 November to two years and six months imprisonment and two years respectively. They were arrested after an incident at the Lebanese restaurant in Baku on 8 July 2009 and convicted under Criminal Code Article 127.2.3 (deliberately causing minor injury) and 221.2.1 (hooliganism).

Ali Hasanov said on Monday that the executive authorities do not have the right to interfere in court decisions, contrary to the implications in some of the protests of international organizations.

“Indeed Azerbaijani society has reached a level at which one authority cannot interfere in another. Azerbaijan has been integrated into the European space and citizens that disagree with court verdicts can appeal to the European Court of Human Rights”, Hasanov said.

“Dozens, hundreds of court verdicts on hooliganism charges are made in Azerbaijan every year. Why do only these two young men cause a reaction? Of course, they can say that these young men are bloggers with more intellect and closer to the West. But there is no provision in the Azerbaijani Criminal Code for whoever is more intellectual and closer to the West to receive a lighter sentence."

The US State Department, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe have all expressed concern at the case.

Miklos Haraszti, the OSCE's representative for freedom of the media, sent a letter on the 11th to Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in connection with the sentencing. "I hope that the appeals court will reverse the decision and release Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade as soon as possible.", Haraszti said in the letter.

APA