BAKU : Police in the oil-rich republic of Azerbaijan have arrested 196 people after violent battles between police and protesters over a disputed election, the interior ministry said amid fears of more violence.

It said Friday that some 64 police and bystanders caught up in the violence had been hurt, 34 of them seriously, while about 20 of the protesters sustained injuries and one of them, a 51-year-old man, died.

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Pitched battles broke out on Thursday afternoon between police and opposition supporters who claim that this week's presidential election, which handed victory to Ilham Aliyev, son of outgoing president Heidar Aliyev, had been rigged.

One of the injured was a five-year-old boy, Tofiq Hassanov, who was trampled in the fighting and is now in a coma in hospital, his doctors told AFP.

The interior ministry said the dead 51-year-old opposition supporter was crushed by his fellow-protestors. His brother, however, told AFP he had been beaten to death by police.

There was a massive police presence in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku, Friday amid fears of new trouble.

"We will not allow any disorder," said Interior Minister Ramil Usubov . "We will ensure law and order and all the organisers of these distrubances will have to answer before the law."

He said that according to police information, Thursday's disorder was organised by Isa Gambar, defeated challenger in the presidential election, and two of his lieutenants.

Azerbaijan's parliament, or Milli Majlis, met in emergency session Friday to discuss the violence.

- AFP