Opposition Journalist Detained In Azerbaijan

Opposition supporters calling in November 2005 for the annulment of parliamentary elections, which they said were neither free nor fair (ITAR-TASS) October 11, 2006 -- Border guards at Baku international airport have briefly detained a prominent critic of the government.

Emin Huseynov, a journalist, was detained for more than 4 hours on his return from Istanbul on October 10. He says his luggage was searched and he was questioned by police on his links to "enemies of Azerbaijan."


A U.S. citizen Sarah Paulsworth who was traveling with Huseynov was also held and questioned. Paulsworth, who works with Huseynov at the Azerbaijani news agency Turan, was released an hour later.


Huseynov says he is being harassed as part of a plan to discredit him.


He linked his detention to a BBC documentary -- "How to Plan a Revolution" -- on street protests against the outcome of Azerbaijan's 2005 parliamentary election.


(AFP, Turan)