After the program, Bakhtiyar went home to Azerbaijan to stand in a parliamentary election.

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Bakhtiyar Hajiyev had been serving a two-year prison term on charges of avoiding military service.

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Today among these prisoners of conscience is Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, a former student of the Harvard University Kennedy School of Public Policy.

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Despite legal deferments and a plea for alternative civil service, Bakhtiyar was sentenced to two years in prison -- the longest prison term observed for this crime.

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But, this is not just an opportunity for the Azerbaijani people to shine, Eurovision is also an important opportunity for us all to focus on the host country's government and to demand reform, which to start should be the release of individuals like Bakhtiyar Hajiyev.

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