Azerbaijan: Two youth activists beaten and detained for 48 hours

Two Azeri video-bloggers - Emin Milli, one of the founders of AN Network, a grassroots youth network and Adnan Hadji-zadeh, one of the founders of OL! Azerbaijan Youth Movement have been attacked by unidentified people in plainclothes while dining with a group of other civil society and youth activists in a Lebanese restaurant in downtown Baku.

After being severely beaten, Emin and Adnan applied for medical expertise and police assistance and according to witnesses, both of the perpetrators have also been detained. However, with perpetrators later released, Adnan and Emin became the main suspects. Refused a meeting with their lawyer, they were transferred to Khatai District Temporary Detention Center handcuffed.

They can be kept there up to 48 hour with a possible trial afterwards. They are accused of hooliganism. Emin has several injuries, as well as a cut in his leg, while Adnan's nose is broken.