“We can bring to justice anyone who wants to violate human rights”
On February 13, two US senators called on the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately release social activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev and other political prisoners. Media outlet “Turan” published information about this.
“I still believe that the future of Azerbaijan lies in democracy. However, the arrest of political prisoners like the activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev undermines this path,” Senator Dick Durbin said.
Dick Durbin also wrote on his Twitter page that Azerbaijan should immediately release Bakhtiyar Hajiyev and other political prisoners.
The co-chairman of the Helsinki Commission, Senator Ben Cardin, also called on the government of Azerbaijan to immediately release Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, who has been detained on false grounds since December. “We can and will prosecute anyone who wants to violate human rights,” Cardin said on his Twitter account.
On February 11, US State Department official Ned Price called for the immediate release of official Baku Hajiyev and the release of all those arrested for exercising their fundamental freedoms.
“We are deeply concerned that Azerbaijani activist Bakhtiyar Hajiyev has been in prison since last December, International Human Rights Day, and that he is facing charges that are considered politically motivated”.
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, who has been in prison since December 9, 2022, is charged with articles 221.2.2 (hooliganism by resisting a person performing the duty of protecting public order) and 289.1 (contempt of court) of the Criminal Code.
These articles provide up to three years of imprisonment.
In the criminal case against Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, the issue at stake is about a scandal between the social activist and journalist Ulviyya Alovlu.
Bakhtiyar Hajiyev has been complaining to the police for a long time, demanding that Ulviyya Alovlu be brought to criminal responsibility.
Some time ago, a video of what happened during the trial between Bakhtiyar Hajiyev and Ulviyya Alovlu in the Yasamal District Court was circulated on social networks. In those images, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev throws the documents in his hand on the table.
It is claimed that the public activist is accused of hooliganism and contempt of court precisely because of these actions.
However, Hajiyev claims that the Minister of Internal Affairs Vilayat Eyvazov was arrested by order. Occasionally in the past, Hajiyev criticized Eyvazov and the activities of the ministry on his social media accounts.
Hajiyev said that in April 2022, he was abducted by unknown persons in the center of Baku and beaten. Although a criminal case for this incident been initiated, the perpetrators have not been found yet.
