The police chief in the Azerbaijani capital of Baku says opposition leader Isa Gambar is criminally responsible for post-election riots that killed at least two people and injured 60 others. Prime Minister Ilham Aliyev won Wednesday's presidential vote with nearly 80 percent to Mr. Gambar's 12 percent. Six other candidates finished far behind. Mr. Gambar insists the election was stolen. Several thousand opposition backers stormed a square in central Baku Thursday, throwing stones and attacking cars. Club-waving riot police beat back the crowd. At least two people were killed. Witnesses say one of the dead was a child. The Baku police chief says 171 people were arrested. European election monitors said Thursday the voting was generally without problems, but the overall presidential election fell short of international standards. They say it was a missed opportunity for Azerbaijan to hold a genuinely democratic election. The monitors say opposition candidates had limited access to state-run and independent media and were restricted from holding political rallies. They also report cases of ballot-stuffing.
EU Election Observers: Azerbaijan Elections Do Not Meet International Standards - 2003-10-17
In Azerbaijan, Prime Minister Ilham Aliyev won the presidential election with nearly 80% of the vote, while opposition leader Isa Gambar claimed the election was stolen. Post-election riots resulted in at least two deaths and numerous injuries, with European observers stating the election did not meet international standards.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Ilham Aliyev won the Azerbaijani presidential election with a significant majority, while opposition leader Isa Gambar claimed the election was fraudulent. Post-election protests led to violence and casualties.
- Ilham Aliyev won with nearly 80% of the vote.
- European observers criticized the election for not meeting international standards.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Azerbaijan has been under the leadership of the Aliyev family for decades, with Ilham Aliyev succeeding his father, Heydar Aliyev, in 2003.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%