ECHR makes decisions on 10 complaints from Azerbaijan

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on 14 March announced 6 decisions on 10 complaints from Azerbaijan, the specialised legal information website aihmaz.org reports

One of the decisions declared illegal the conviction for defamation of Eldaniz Guliyev, head of the "Union of Intellectuals of Azerbaijan", to 480 hours of community service and a fine of 1000 manats for criticising traffic police.

The court decided to pay him compensation of 2,700 euros and 450 euros for court costs.

Another decision sentenced Elnur Magerramli, the head of the website, to corrective labour, also for criticising the traffic police. In this case, the parties reached a settlement agreement. The government undertook to pay Magerramli 2,000 euros in compensation and 700 euros in court costs.

The ECHR also recognised a violation of the rights of Nazim Mammadov, who was sentenced to a year's imprisonment on a lawsuit filed by the head of a private company for publishing a video about him on the Internet. The ECHR ruled to pay Mammadov 2,700 euros in compensation.

The Strasbourg court also satisfied Nazim Hasanov's complaint for unjustified administrative punishment and ordered to pay him 1,250 euros.

Opposition activist Etibar Mammadov was arrested for 15 days for distributing leaflets calling for participation in a protest action. The parties reached an amicable agreement and the government undertook to pay him compensation of 5800 euros and 500 euros for court costs.

The ECtHR also decided on the claimants' case in the Kerim Suleymanly and others v. Azerbaijan case.  Kerim Suleymanly, Elvin Suleymanov, Javid Mammadzade and Baba Suleymanova complained about unfair administrative proceedings. The Government agreed to pay them a total of €3,800 for moral damages and a further €1,200 for court costs.

Zemfira Aliyeva complained of a violation of the right to hold peaceful assemblies. However, at the communication stage she withdrew the complaint.