Azerbaijan: Defense Hits Snags in Youth Activist Trial

The presiding judge in the trial of two Azerbaijani youth activists rebuffed a fresh motion to set the pair free on bail. Trial testimony on October 7 dealt an additional setback to the defense, as an expert witness failed to clearly corroborate the defendants' contention that they did not assault two individuals in a Baku café back in July.

As the court session got under way, defense attorney Elton Guliyev motioned for the defendants -- youth activists Emin Milli and Adnan Hajizade -- to be set free on bail for the duration of the trial. Guliyev characterized the authorities' decision to keep the pair in administrative detention as a miscarriage of justice. The attorney argued that neither Milli nor Hajizade posed a flight risk. He also cautioned the court that he would file suit in the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France, if the defendants' latest bail request was rejected.

Presiding Judge Araz Huseynov considered the motion briefly behind close doors before returning to the court and denying it.

During the questioning of witnesses on October 7, the defense sought to poke holes in the prosecution's case, which has already been undermined by vague testimony given by government witnesses, including two men who were allegedly assaulted by Milli and Hajizade. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]. Although they find themselves on trial, Milli and Hajizade insist that they were the actual victims of an unprovoked attack carried out by the purported victims, Vusal Mammadov and Baber Huseynov.

A forensic expert called by the defense, Madjid Mammadov, gave unclear, confusing answers about whether or not Vusal Mammadov suffered head trauma stemming for the brawl. A clear-cut assertion that Vusal Mammadov had not suffered injuries would have greatly bolstered the defendants' case.

Defense attorney Guliyev earlier highlighted that a doctor who examined Vusal Mammadov had noted that his "appearance is normal, speech is coherent, walking is normal." Guliyev argued that the physician saw no sign of injuries later described by Madjid Mammadov.

Judge Huseynov later denied a petition for nine additional defense witnesses, who were reportedly ready to testify that Hajizade and Milli had themselves gone to police to complain about the alleged attack by Vusal Mammadov and Baber Huseynov. Only one witness was permitted to take the stand; the individual claimed that police had briefly detained him when he headed back to the café to retrieve Hajizade's bag.

Prosecutors have been asked to call the alleged victims of the fight -- Mammadov and Huseynov -- for fresh testimony when the trial resumes on October 9.