Watchdog

BAKU -- Two youth activists from Azerbaijani opposition parties have been expelled from Baku State University in the past week, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.

Tural Abbasli, head of the Musavat party youth wing, was expelled on April 6, it emerged on April 11. He was studying for a master's degree in journalism and was due to graduate this year.

Yalchin Alizadeh, dean of the journalism faculty, told RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service that Abbasli was expelled for missing 100 hours of classes and not paying the annual tuition fee of 900 manats ($1,135) for the period from September 2010 till March 31, 2011.

Abbasli's mother, Bashkhanim Abbasli, also a member of the Musavat party, told RFE/RL he was expelled for his political views. She said two of his exams coincided with the opposition protests on March 12 and April 2 but he could not sit those exams as he was detained on the eve of the protests.

The other expelled student is Javid Mehraliyev, a member of the opposition Classical Azerbaijan Popular Front Party. He participated in recent opposition protests and was expelled from Baku State University on April 5. He told RFE/RL last week that he was designated absent even when he attended classes.

Baku State University officials deny the two men were expelled for their political views.

Read more in Azerbaijani here

BAKU -- More opposition activists in Azerbaijan have been charged in connection with an antigovernment rally that was dispersed by riot police earlier this month, RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service reports.

An order was issued for five activists to be held in detention for two months on Saturday April 9.

They are Ahad Mammadli, Ulvi Quliyev, Babek Hasanov from the opposition Musavat party, and Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP) activists Elshan Hasanov and Sahib Karimov, who is an adviser to APFP chairman Ali Karimli.

The five, along with three others detained during the April 2 protest, were charged with organizing "actions resulting in the violation of public order and resisting and using force against government officials."

The charges can carry a fine or a prison term of up to three years.

Mammadli's lawyer, Yalchin Imanov, told RFE/RL he submitted a petition alleging his client had been beaten while in detention.

The opposition's umbrella organization, the Public Chamber, plans to hold another protest on April 17.

Meanwhile, Ali Ahmadov, executive secretary of the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan Party (YAP), in an interview on the party website, criticized western diplomats for meeting opposition leaders at Musavat headquarters on April 8.

Ahmadov said the diplomats' mission is to represent their countries, not to conduct secret meetings.

Read more in Azeri here