On November 5, the European Court of Human Rights ruled for the immediate release of the jailed deputy chairman of Musavat Party, journalist Tofig Yagublu, and has requested that the government pay him 24000 EUR in compensation.
The European Court of Human Rights found a violation of Article 5 (right to liberty) of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
Tofig Yagublu’s case was referred back to Shaki Grave Crimes Court for review on October 13.
B a c k g r o u n d:
An uprising broke out in the northwestern city of Ismayilli on 23-24 January 2013. Ilgar Mammadov and Tofig Yagublu were arrested on February 4, 2013 in connection with the incident. They were charged with organizing public disturbance and resisting representatives of the authorities. Later, the first of the two charges was replaced by a more serious one, “organizing mass riots”. On March 17, 2014, Sheki Grave Crimes Court handed down a 7-year jail sentence to Ilgar Mammadov and a 5-year jail sentence to Tofig Yagublu. On September 24, 2014, Sheki Court of Appeal upheld their sentences