26 August 2009, 19:00
In Azerbaijan, start of bloggers' trial appointed on September 4
The litigation on the hooliganism case initiated against young bloggers Adnan Gadjizade and Emin Milli will start at the Sabail District Court of Baku on September 4 at 3:00 p.m. local time. The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told about it by advocate Isakhan Ashurov.
He also said that on August 27 the Baku Appeal Court will consider the bloggers' complaint against the decision of the Sabail Court to reject their claims against the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) and State Office of Public Prosecutor. The claim were filed, because the MIA and the Office had breached, in the opinion of the claimants, their presumption of innocence by calling Gadjizade and Milli "hooligans" before the trial.
By the end of the preliminary investigation, the young bloggers were presented, apart from hooliganism, with charges under Article 127 "Minor damage to one's health".
However, as Mr Ashurov said, for the expired six weeks, neither supposed bloggers' victims nor their advocates have presented any proofs of the incriminated violence.
Meanwhile, the international campaign of bloggers' support broadens.
Thus, on September 2, in front of the Azerbaijani embassy in London, a street concert will take place in support of Gadjizade and Milli. The British friends of the bloggers said that the concert will be a protest action against their arrest, and an act of their support.
In his turn, congressman-democrat James Moran, a member of the Committee for Allocations, sent a letter to State Secretary Hilary Clinton in relation of the case of the bloggers Milli and Gadjizade arrested in Azerbaijan.
In his letter Mr Moran expresses his "suspicion that the bloggers' arrest was motivated by their political views and activities." It means that the litigation will not be fair.
Author: Faik Medzhid Source: CK correspondent