Azerbaijani Government Refuses to Pay Compensation in Respect of European Court Decisions

The former political prisoner and human rights activist Rasul Jafarov still cannot get the financial compensation that the Azerbaijani government should pay to him by the decision of the European Court of Human Rights.

It is about 32,500 euros, which the government is obliged to pay for Jafarov’s unlawful arrest and violation of rights.

As Jafarov wrote on his page on Facebook, the authorities also refused to answer his questions about the reasons for delay in the compensation.

Freed from prison 11 months ago, Jafarov also cannot use his bank account, which is still under arrest. Prosecutor General's Office ignored his requests on this issue, so the activist intends to go to court.

Jafarov also sued the border guard and customs, which also violated his rights when entering and leaving the country.

In turn, the European Court has to make a decision in connection with the refusal of the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan on the registration of his NGO - Human Rights Club.

Recall that Rasul Jafarov was arrested in August 2014 on charges of misappropriation, illegal business and tax evasion and sentenced to 6.5 years in prison. Recognized a political prisoner, Jafarov was held in custody for about two years and was pardoned in March 2016.

Similar problems are faced by almost all the political prisoners released in the spring of 2016, who are a dozen and a half. Besides that, even the lawyers who defended the rights of citizens of Azerbaijan in the European Court and won the suits still cannot receive the due compensation in accordance with the European Court verdict. -16D-