Azerbaijani Riot Police Disperse Would-Be Protesters

An electoral bloc uniting three main opposition parties had announced that it planned to defy a ban on demonstrations in six squares of the capital. Riot police with truncheons pushed back dozens of protesters as they tried to make their way down a narrow street toward one of the squares where rallies were planned.

One opposition candidate, Khalig Bahadur, claimed to have been beaten. Norway's ambassador to Baku, Steiner Gil, accused police of having used "excessive force and exaggerated the threat."

Authorities accuse the opposition of plotting to stir unrest, while antigovernment parties say President Ilham Aliyev is likely to falsify the vote. Some European and the U.S. government have urged Azerbaijani authorities to ensure free and fair elections.

(AP/AFP)