Government of Azerbaijan Fined EUR 138,870

On 16 February, the European Court of Human Rights announced its new decision on Azerbaijan. The decision has been issued by 16 complaints of 11 applicants. In its decisions, the European Court has acknowledged the violation of the applicants’ right to liberty through arbitrary arrests, right to freedom of assembly through detention or imposition of fines for participation in demonstrations, and the right to a fair trial through the failure of national courts to objectively consider their complaints. The Court has ordered the payment of a total compensation of EUR 138,870 for violation of the citizens’ rights guaranteed by the European Convention.

The information has been made public by lawyer Asabali Mustafayev who has represented 10 of the 11 applicants in the European Court.

Among those, whose complaints have been considered, are APFP deputy chairperson Gozal Bayramli, APFP members Mahammad Majidli and Babak Hasanov, Ag (White) Party chairman Tural Abbasli, former Musavat Party member and former MP Ikram Israfil, human rights defenders Vidadi Isgandarli, Hikmat Agayev and Rovshan Guliyev, and youth activists Jamil Hajiyev and Majid Majidli.
About the failure to execute some European Court decisions on Azerbaijan and to pay compensations to the applicants, Asabali Mustafayev said the execution of European Court rulings is mandatory for the country. The lawyer believes that in the case of an increase in the number of complaints on this matter, the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers – the body supervising the execution of decisions – can make harsh decisions.