AZERBAIJAN SENTENCES TWO GROUPS OF COUP PLOTTERS.

The Supreme Court of Azerbaijan yesterday completed the "Trial of the Generals" and its prosecution of other participants in the July 1995 abortive attempt to assassinate President Haidar Aliev and to seize power. The prosecution linked the ringleaders to former Communist leader Ayaz Mutalibov, now a fugitive in Moscow. Former deputy defense minister Gen. Vahit Musaev and the former commander of internal affairs troops, Gen. Rafig Agaev, were sentenced to prison terms of 15 and 11 years, respectively. Two brothers and accomplices of Alikram Humatov, the secessionist leader of the would-be "Talysh-Mugan republic" who escaped to Russia, were sentenced to five years each. Fourteen codefendants, mostly military officers, were sentenced to terms ranging from 5 to 13 years. Two others were acquitted. (Turan, Interfax, January 29)

On January 28 the Supreme Court concluded another trial. This time, the defendants were linked to former prime minister Suret Huseinov, leader of the anti-Aliev abortive coup of October 1994. The Court sentenced the former chief of Azerbaijan’s Interpol section, Ilgar Safikhanov, to 15 years imprisonment. Eldar Hasanov and Alig Mamedov, former commanders of internal affairs troops in Huseinov’s fief region of Ganja, received 15 and 11 years, respectively. Huseinov’s coup had appeared to be supported from Russia, and Huseinov and some accomplices subsequently fled there. The Russian authorities nevertheless extradited Safikhanov. (Turan, Interfax, January 28)

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