In a surprise move, jailed “donkey blogger” Adnan Hajizade was released from prison in the last two hours. He had been serving a two-year sentence on charges of “hooliganism” after being mauled by thugs in a Baku cafe in 2009.
Coincidentally, the charges and the assault took place not long after Hajizade produced (and starred in) a hilarious parody aimed at the Azerbaijani government. The order was handed down by the Court of Appeal after hearing from the prosecutor, who reportedly told the court that he agreed with the early release due to Hajizade’s good behavior while serving the first half of his term, according to two sources in Baku I have been in contact with this morning.
One source tells me that he met Hajizade upon his release. Details will emerge later today, and I should have photos as well.
The curious statement of the prosecutor begs the question of the real reasons for Hajizade’s release, although it is assumed by Azeris I have talked to that international pressure was the crucial factor. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton raised the issue during her brief visit to Baku in July, and the OSCE–as well as an array of NGOs–have made the donkey bloggers’ plight a very public priority.
It is not known why only Hajizade was released and not his fellow donkey blogger as well, Emin Milli.
More details to follow tonight…
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
