Yesterday, January 13, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, a youth activist, Chairman of the local branch of the international youth organization AIESEC (http://www.aiesec.org ) was arrested by the police. He is reported to have been kept in the isolation confinement of the Narimanov district police office (Baku city). (14-JAN-07)

Based on a press release from the Azeri human rights organization Society for Humanitarian Research, this article has been edited for republication here by HRH F / Niels Jacob Harbitz.

It has also been reported that today, in the morning following a closed court session Bakhtiyar Hajiyev was sentenced to twelve days of incarceration as per the decision of Narimanov district court. In response to inquires made by a number of young people, who approached the Narimanov district police station to obtain some information about the legal grounds of Hajiyev s arrest, the police officers refused to provide any information on the grounds of the arrest, moreover, they expelled the young people from the police station.

Website closed within 48 hours of its own launch
There are strong allegations and serious concerns among the youth groups that Bakhtiyar Hajiyev is arrested due to his critical statements made recently with regard to the human rights situation in the country. B. Hajiyev was one of the initiators of the recent campaign against corruption in the educational institutions. He was a founder of the web-site (www.susmayaq.biz) which in Azerbaijani means ´let´s not keep silent,´ launched to express civic protests against the decision of the Tariff Council (dated January 6, 2007) according to which the prices for fuel (gasoline etc) and communal services (water, electricity supply etc) in Azerbaijan have been increased substantially. The web-site posted petitions and messages criticizing official decisions on increase of prices. It also called on citizens not to keep silent and demand their rights. The web-site was closed down two days after its functioning.

Widespread serious concern
A number of young people express their serious concerns over the arrest of Bakhtiyar Hajiyev and call on the authorities to ensure respect for the human rights and freedoms of B.Hajiyev, especially his right to have access to a legal counsel of his own choice, and to be free from any kind of inhuman, degrading treatment or punishment.

Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders condemns the prison “The arrest of an online journalist, like the censoring of his website are very bad omens. We hope the deterioration in online free expression in Azerbaijan is just temporary and that the authorities are not going to adapt a more repressive internet development model” said the press freedom organization.