Azerbaijan deployed high security and made arrests in anticipation of the return from exile of a key opposition figure, but he failed to turn up as expected and was instead arrested in Ukraine on a warrant from Interpol, officials said. Rasul Guliyev, a former speaker of the Azerbaijani parliament and the head of the former Soviet republic\'s opposition Democratic Party (ADP) who now lives in the United States, had been due to return to Baku where authorities made clear they would arrest him immediately. Hundreds of anti-riot police were positioned around the Baku international airport, and access to the facility was closed for hours to members of the public, with the exception of airline passengers with valid tickets. Guliyev, who has been charged by the authorities in Azerbaijan with embezzling over 100 million dollars (83 million euros) in government money, has registered as a candidate in parliamentary elections scheduled for November 6 and to be watched closely as a test of democracy and stability here. Authorities late Sunday urged journalists and foreign diplomats to stay away on Monday from the airport, where they warned of possible clashes between security forces and anti-government activists who had announced plans to turn out in large numbers to greet Guliyev on his return. That anticipated return however was aborted while authorities and opposition activists offered contradictory explanations as to why. The deputy head of the Democratic Party, Sardar Jalaloglu, said that authorities had refused to grant landing rights in Azerbaijan for the plane carrying Guliyev on a flight from Britain.Meanwhile police officials in Ukraine said they had detained Guliyev on a request from Azerbaijan through Interpol after his plane landed in the Crimean city of Simferopol. \"Mr. Guliyev was arrested by airport police and is currently being held at the airport,\" the head of the local police unit, Andry Ivansov, told AFP. In televised remarks, Azerbaijan\'s Interior Minister Ramil Usubov would begin extradition procedures, which could take up to 40 days, adding he was \"confident\" they would be successful. Guliyev\'s reputed wealth and government contacts were expected to give anti-government forces a much-needed boost ahead of elections.Guliyev\'s opposition Azadliq (Freedom) bloc, which is made up of the ADP, the Popular Front Party and the Musavat party, has nevertheless pledged to go ahead with a new protest this weekend.(AFP)