BAKU, Azerbaijan — An activist in Azerbaijan jailed last year after taking part in anti-government protests has been released just days before U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton's visit to the country.
The Supreme Court ruled on June 4 that Bakhtiyar Hajiyev could be freed early for good behavior after serving half his two-year sentence on charges of evading military service.
Harvard-educated Hajiyev was at the forefront of an Arab Spring-inspired wave of peaceful demonstrations in the former Soviet nation.
Activists said the jailing was retaliation for Hajiyev’s political engagements.
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators last month demanded Hajiyev’s release, describing his arrest as a violation of freedom of expression and association.
Clinton is set to visit Azerbaijan on June 6 as part of a whistle-stop tour of South Caucasus nations.
