Court in Azerbaijan jails opposition bloggers

Wed Nov 11, 2009 11:57am GMT
 
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* Rights groups say case politically motivated

* Lawyers say will appeal

* European Union, OSCE expressed concern over trial

BAKU, Nov 11 (Reuters) - A court in Azerbaijan sentenced two opposition bloggers to jail terms on Wednesday in a case that has stirred international concern over freedom of expression in the oil-producing Caspian Sea state.

Adnan Hajizade, 26, was sentenced to two years in prison and Emin Milli, 30, to two years and six months over an incident in a cafe in Baku, a member of their defence team told Reuters.

The two have been held since the incident in July, in which the bloggers say they were the victims of an unprovoked attack which they reported to police.

They were arrested and later charged with hooliganism and inflicting minor bodily harm.

The incident came shortly after Hajizade, a video blogger and member of the OL! opposition movement, posted his latest tongue-in-cheek swipe at authorities under President Ilham Aliyev in which he held a news conference dressed as a donkey.  Continued...

 

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