Azerbaijan extends detention of second opposition chief

A court in Azerbaijan on Wednesday extended the pre-trial detention of a second prominent opposition leader, who is accused of fomenting anti-government riots in the tightly-controlled former Soviet state, his lawyer said.

Ilgar Mammadov, the head of the Republican Alternative (REAL) opposition movement, was ordered to stay in detention until November 4 at a closed hearing in Baku where he is awaiting trial on charges of causing mass disorder and resisting state officials, his lawyer Fuad Agayev said.

On Tuesday, Tofig Yagublu, the deputy head of the anti-government group Musavat, was remanded in custody until December 4 on similar charges.

The activists were arrested in early February and accused of helping organise rioting in the town of Ismayilli in January that saw police use rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannon to disperse thousands of protestors.

Azerbaijan's weakened opposition denied any role in the rampage, which saw residents torch buildings and cars following a minor car crash and fight allegedly involving a relative of the local governor.

Any display of public discontent and political dissent usually meets a tough government response in Azerbaijan, which is gearing for an October 9 presidential vote.

President Ilham Aliyev took over in 2003 after the death of his father Heydar, a former KGB officer and Communist-era boss.

He looks certain to win another term in office despite a coalition of opposition groups rallying around Oscar-winning screenwriter Rustam Ibragimbekov as its candidate.

Human rights activists have accused authorities in the oil-rich state of locking up scores of opponents in a bid to stifle opposition and strangle criticism in the run-up to the election.

Amnesty International has called the charges against Yagublu and Mammadov -- who had previously said he wanted to run for president -- "politically motivated".

The men face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty, Amnesty said.

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AFP