Today, 5 July, youth blogger Emin Milli (Abdullayev) was taken back to #5 prison in the afternoon. The Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) was told this by the blogger’s mother Natellla Abdullayeva. Emin Milli (Abdullayev) was initially allowed 3 days to participate in his father’s funeral; however this term was prolonged to 5 days.
N.Abdullayeva said that Emin Milli will not make an appeal to be pardoned because he is innocent. “We consider that it is baseless to appeal to be pardoned for a crime he did not commit,” said N.Abdullayeva. “However, we hope that he will be released.”
Other youth blogger Adnan Hajizade’s father Hikmet Hajizade told IRFS that Adnan is not going to make an appeal to be pardoned either.
On 8 July 2009, at approximately 8:00 p.m., Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade were sitting at a table in “Lebonese” (Livan) restaurant along with several other young adults, when two people who looked like sportsmen came up to them, and attacked them causing physical injuries. Although they appealed to police as victims, police detained Adnan and Emin as suspected persons for 48 hours and freed the attackers. On 10 July, the Sabail District Court issued a decision under article 221.2.1 (hooliganism) of the Criminal Code to sentence Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade to a two-month pre-trial detention. On July 20 the Appellate Court upheld the decision of the lower court. The investigation of the criminal case was concluded and a criminal case under articles 221.2.1 (hooliganism) and 127 (inflicting intentional minor bodily harm) was opened against E.Millli and A.Hajizade and the case was sent to court to be considered. According to the verdict of Sabail district Court, Emin Milli was sentenced to 2,5 years imprisonment and Adnan Hajizade to 2 years imprisonment on 11 November. On 10 March, the Baku Appellate Court adopted a decision to uphold the verdict of the Sabail District Court. Local and international community accepted the bloggers as the prisoners of conscience.