Azerbaijan: convicted bloggers are ranked as political prisoners

Today, according to the Monitoring Group of Human Rights Organizations of Azerbaijan (MGHROA), the number of political prisoners in the country has reached 27. The new entries to the list are bloggers Emin Milli and Adnan Gadjizade, sentenced to imprisonment. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told about it by Saida Godjamanly, head of the Bureau for Observance of Human Rights and Legality.

Messrs Milli and Gadjizade were sentenced on November 11 for hooliganism and causing bodily injuries to 2.5 and 2 years of imprisonment accordingly.

Human rights defender Godjamanly treats the verdict to young bloggers as "an aggression against the future of Azerbaijan." "The verdict has shown that there are no positive changes in Azerbaijani Themis," she said.

The verdict of the Sabail District Court was anticipated, as it was obvious that this case was politically-motivated. This was stated by another human rights defender - Arzu Abdullaeva, head of the Azerbaijani National Committee of the Helsinki Civil Assembly (HCA).

Intigam Aliev, head of the Society of Legal Enlightenment, believes that verdict of guilty on bloggers' case was passed under the order of the authorities.