BAKU -- Two Azerbaijani bloggers jailed on hooliganism charges have been transferred from a pretrial detention center in Baku to separate prisons, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.
On April 10, blogger Adnan Hajizada was moved to a prison in Guzdek, some 20 kilometers from Baku, which houses dangerous criminals and is notorious for its bad conditions.
The other blogger, Emin Milli, was transferred today to a prison in the central town of Salyan, some 120 kilometers from Baku.
Their lawyers told RFE/RL the remote locations are likely to impede contact between the young men and their families and lawyers.
Hajizada and Milli were detained after a scuffle at a Baku restaurant in July 2009. They were found guilty in November of hooliganism and inflicting minor bodily harm and sentenced to two and 2 1/2 years in prison, respectively.
Human rights groups say the charges against the two are politically motivated in retaliation for their satirical comments about government policy.
A Baku appeals court upheld their conviction in March despite numerous international calls for clemency.
On April 10, blogger Adnan Hajizada was moved to a prison in Guzdek, some 20 kilometers from Baku, which houses dangerous criminals and is notorious for its bad conditions.
The other blogger, Emin Milli, was transferred today to a prison in the central town of Salyan, some 120 kilometers from Baku.
Their lawyers told RFE/RL the remote locations are likely to impede contact between the young men and their families and lawyers.
Hajizada and Milli were detained after a scuffle at a Baku restaurant in July 2009. They were found guilty in November of hooliganism and inflicting minor bodily harm and sentenced to two and 2 1/2 years in prison, respectively.
Human rights groups say the charges against the two are politically motivated in retaliation for their satirical comments about government policy.
A Baku appeals court upheld their conviction in March despite numerous international calls for clemency.
