Azerbaijan on Friday ordered a journalist from an anti-corruption media outlet be held in pre-trial detention for three months, in the latest case targeting independent media in the tightly controlled Caspian nation. Baku cracks down strongly on any signs of dissent and is escalating its legal pursuit of the few independent reporters still working inside the country.

On Tuesday, the Azerbaijani foreign ministry summoned French, German and United States representatives to protest their "illegal funding" of Abzas Media, accusing the countries' embassies of meddling in Azerbaijan's internal affairs.

The government of President Ilham Aliyev -- who has ruled the Caucasus country since 2003, when he succeeded his father, Heydar -- has long faced international criticism over the country's poor democratic record.

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