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Case of: Blogger, Harvard Alumni, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev
Arrested, tortured and threatened to be raped by police
Alumni (MPP 2009) of John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Mr. Bakhtiyar Hajiyev was arrested on March 4 for blogging on Facebook against the corruption, opression and violations of human rights in Azerbaijan. Recent events in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya are directly connected to what is happening in Azerbaijan right now and to Hajiyev's case. Oficial acusations are irrelevant, since everyone who is demanding his rights is acused in this country to be criminal and enemy of the state. Hajiyev was one of the co-creators of “11 March - Great People's Day” page on facebook (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=192209267477787 ), calling for peacefull protests in Azerbaijan on March 11, 2011. The Facebook page has about 3 000 supporters. Hajiyev manged to send a letter from jail where he said that he was insulted and tortured. He was also threatened to be raped by the high-ranked policeman. Hajiyev is refusing currently to eat and drink anything. He has started "death" hungerstrike. “It is better to live one day in dignity rather than 40 years as a slave” were his last words in his letter from jail.
Your prompt reaction in the press, condemnation and demanding his immediate release can save life of this brave young man who is currently paying literally with his life just for a dream to live in a free and democratic country.
Citizen of Azerbaijan
