In a stunning development, Emin Milli, the second so-called “donkey blogger,” was granted a release from prison today by an Azerbaijani court. Details are still sketchy, and Radio Free Europe does not appear to have confirmation yet that Milli is actually out as of press time. One of my sources claims that Milli has been released, but I have no first-hand confirmation yet.
Azerbaijani and foreign human rights experts are suggesting that the releases are due to the intense international pressure exerted on President Aliyev. The rather strange argument of the prosecutor yesterday (speaking on behalf of donkey blogger Adnan Hajizade) that ‘gosh, Adnan has behaved so well in prison that we think he ought to go home’ seems to be a way for the government to imply that the decision did not originate with Aliyev and that the judiciary is independent.
In other news, there is a disturbing rumor that a Harvard-educated candidate for parliament has been arrested today, but I am still working on the story and seeking confirmation. If true, that means the celebration over Milli’s and Hajizade’s release will be muted by the arrest of another pro-democracy figure.
UPDATE: I can confirm that Emin Milli was indeed released today. Here is a great Youtube video of Emin and his family at home. (Excellent work by Voice of America and RFE/RL, two outstanding news sources. Photo below courtesy of Turkhan Karimov.)
