A blogger in Azerbaijan is accused of an attempt of seizure of power

After the arrest of Bakhtiyar Gajiev, active user of the social network Facebook in Azerbaijan, last week criminal proceedings were started against Elnur Mejidli, blogger and journalist currently residing in France. 

Gajiev and Mejidli have been founders of a youth group "March, 11 - Great National Day" in Facebook network. The group had called for the citizens to come out into the streets on that day and demand democratic reforms from the authorities. Gajiev was arrested yet before the beginning of the action, on March, 4, for accusation of conscription dodging. 

A criminal case was initiated against Gajiev at the end of January and on March, 4, he was arrested for a month's term. Democratic community is sure that the young man was arrested for membership in the group organizer of an antigovernment action on March, 11, on the Facebook. In case if the court brings in a verdict of guilty Gajiev may be sentenced to a term of custody up to two years.

However, Mejidli organized other groups on the Facebook calling for actions of protest in Baku: "April, 2 - the Great Day of Wrath" (on this day an action of protest of Civil movement for democracy "Public Chamber" passed off in Baku - note by the "Caucasian Knot"), "April, 8 - the Great Friday" (an action of Islamic party of Azerbaijan in protection of the believers' rights was planned for Friday but the authorities did not authorize it and the organizers deferred it till the third decade of April - (note by the "Caucasian Knot") and "April, 17 - the Day of Great Unity".

In connection with this Investigative Department for grave crimes of Prosecutor General's of Azerbaijan initiated a criminal case against Mejidli according to clause 281.1 of the Criminal code of Azerbaijan (call for seizure of power by force). 

According to the journalist, his father Abdulla Mejidov was summoned to the Department where he was informed of starting criminal proceedings. However Mejidov refused to sign the protocol. "In spite of my father's elderly age a pressure upon him started and he was dismissed from office", Mejidli added. 

His father had worked in a state navigating company "Kaspar". Vugar Sadygov, Head of Press service of the company, confirmed his dismissal, however he said that Mejidov was "dismissed on grounds of redundancy within the framework of structural transformation". Sadygov denies any connection between this dismissal and the criminal case against Mejidov's son. 

The young man does not consider himself guilty. "There was nothing antistate in my posts. I am not against the state, I am against the present authorities of Azerbaijan who suppress human rights and falsify the election. But I have never called for seizure of power by force", Mejidli said.  

Mejidli emphasized that the charge was a groundless one, therefore there were no requests from Azerbaijan to law enforcement bodies of France. At the same time he said that he was not feeling safe even in Strasbourg. 

"I have received messages that I was allegedly searched for by Interpol. Then I was warned that I would be beaten up like Fahraddin (journalist and political migrant from Azerbaijan Fahraddin Gajibeili was beaten up in the middle of March in Berlin - note by the "Caucasian Knot"). Therefore I appealed to Strasbourg police were I was advised to be watchful and change my residence for a while", he added. 

It should be mentioned that the twenty-seven-year-old Mejidli has been residing in Strasbourg for four years and receiving a second higher education. He has created several web-sites and is a constitutor of an organization "European Azerbaijanis for Democracy" (EUROAD).

A number of youth activists and users of social networks were summoned to Prosecutor General's as witnesses on this criminal case. In particular, Zaur Akper, Head of NGO "Youth Club" said that he had been questioned about Mejidli and meetings in Baku. "I said that citizens had a constitutional right to come out and demand reforms. As for Elnur Mejidli, a know him as a patriot and upholder of democracy", Akper said. 

Lawyer Erkin Gadirli, cofounder of civil movement "Republican Alternative" (ReAl), was also summoned as a witness on Mejidli's case. 

Gadirli considers the accusations against Mejidli groundless. "There is not a single sign confirming that Elnur has called for seizure of power by force. There is neither such a text nor a list of persons to whom he might have appealed with this call. There is no space where Elnur's supposed call was expected to be realized", Gadirli explained. 

Rasul Jafarov, lawyer of the Institute of Reporters' Freedom and Safety (IRFS) also considers the accusation baseless. "All Elnur has written in social networks and blogs must be qualified as "freedom of speech", he has just expressed his ideas. A call for seizure of power implies concrete goals and actions. There is nothing like this in Elnur's case", Jafarov said. He considers the charge so absurd that the criminal case will most probably be dismissed. Jafarov considers the absence of official comments on the case from Public prosecutor's office nonrandom. 

Intigam Aliev, Head of Azerbaijani association of legal enlightenment, also thinks that "by means of similar forged cases against youth activists the authorities just wish to stop the increasing social activity and intimidate young people". "However, bringing such absurd charges against young people may have a reverse effect and strengthen their protest even more", Aliev said. 

Mejidli has no attorney yet but according to the journalist, he is going to ask Rashid Gajili, Director of the Institute of Media Rights, to accept this commitment. 

Press service of Prosecutor General's has just confirmed the fact of starting criminal proceedings refusing to explain what the defendant was accused of.