On November 22, 2003, Mikheil Saakashvili -- a 35-year-old lawyer and politician with a dynamic, populist streak -- stood outside the Georgian parliament building, surrounded by a crowd of demonstrators.
They were protesting the results of that month's legislative elections, which they said were rigged in favor of parties loyal to Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze.
An Azerbaijani journalist who was seriously injured in a knife attack says prosecutors investigating the assault have launched a smear campaign against him.
The developments come amid growing criticism of Baku's press-freedom record and concerns the country's October 2008 presidential elections will see the muzzling of all nonstate media.
