Azerbaijan: advocate states protraction of bloggers' litigation

The next session of the Sabail District Court of Baku on the case of young bloggers Adnan Gadjizade and Emin Milli, accused of hooliganism and causing bodily injuries, due to take place on October 13, was cancelled for non-appearance of the victims and their witnesses in the courtroom.

In this context, Judge Araz Guseinov re-appointed the session on October 27 at 3:00 p.m.

Advocate Isakhan Ashurov has expressed, in his comments on the decision of the court, his discontent with "deliberate protraction of the litigation." "There's no sense to make such a long break in the trial: it goes for more than a month already," he said.

Emin Guseinov, Director of the Institute of Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS), ascribes protraction of the process to the absence of court's independence. In his opinion, "the court does not know what to do, as, possibly, there was no command from the executive authority on what decision to make." "The case has a broad international resonance, and, in case of accusatory verdict and deprivation of freedom, the negative resonance will be still greater," Mr Guseinov said.

It is remarkable that until now Azerbaijani law enforcement bodies have failed to respond to the August appeal of the Ombudsperson Elmira Suleimanova with a request not to deprive the arrested bloggers Adnan Gadjizade and Emin Milli of their freedom. "So far, there's no answer to my request, but I hope it'll be positive," Ms Suleimanova told journalists and refrained from detailed comments.