Emin Abdullayev (30) – Emin Milli is his blogger name – and Adnan Hajizade (26) are webloggers. Milli and Adnan made a video in which a donkey explains to a journalist how wonderful life is in Azerbaijan. It was a satirical indictment of the government which imports donkeys at a high price from abroad. Donkeys symbolise corruption within the Azeri government. (Story continues here)

Adnan is not only a blogger, he is also the founder of the OL! Youth Movement. OL literally means “to be”, and the movement encourages young people to take positive actions and to be liberal, tolerant and democratic. Milli established Alumni Network TV, an online television station.

In July 2009, shortly after the video about the donkey appeared, the two young men were at a restaurant when they were suddenly attacked and beaten by three men. They submitted a complaint to the local police, but instead of receiving assistance, they were arrested. Milli was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment and Adnan to 24 months.

Milli and Adnan are exponents of a new era in which the struggle for human rights is waged via the internet. “The authorities are trying to prevent the internet from becoming a powerful opposition tool in the run up to the next parliamentary elections. Blogs and social networking web sites have become very popular with young Azerbaijanis.”

Adnan’s father, political scientist Hikmat Hajizade, and OL! have launched an international campaign to obtain the bloggers’ release, using the latest means of communication. The campaign’s central figure is the donkey which made Milli and Adnan famous. The slogan is: “One World, One Dream, Free Donkey”. 

More on political prisoners:
RNW dossier, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch