ECHR Rules on Violations of the Rights of Azerbaijani Opposition Figures
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) today issued five rulings on applications from Azerbaijan. The case of "Afgan Mammadov v. Azerbaijan" concerned the complainant's exclusion from the Bar Association. Mammadov was expelled based on a complaint filed by a colleague, which he considered unjust. The ECHR ruled that Mammadov's rights had been violated and ordered Azerbaijan to pay him €5,000 in compensation for moral damage and €1,000 to cover legal costs.
As for Mammadov's request to be reinstated to the Bar Association, the Strasbourg court referred the issue to the Committee of Ministers, the body responsible for overseeing the implementation of ECHR decisions.
The case of "Ali Kerimli and others v. Azerbaijan" dealt with the authorities' refusal to approve a protest march from "Huseyn Javid" park to the parliament building. The applicants – Ali Kerimli, Chairman of the Popular Front Party, along with Ilham Huseyn, Vahid Maharramli, Nureddin Mammadli, and Emil Salimov – argued that the ban on the protest violated Article 11 (freedom of assembly) of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The ECHR found the authorities' restrictions on freedom of assembly to be unfounded and in violation of the European Convention. The court awarded each applicant €1,500 for moral damage and €250 for legal costs.
The case of "Tofig Yagublu and others v. Azerbaijan" also concerned restrictions on freedom of assembly and the use of unlawful and disproportionate force against participants in a peaceful protest, as well as unjust trials related to administrative charges against them.
Tofig Yagublu had complaints in two separate cases. In the first, the ECHR awarded him €3,500 in compensation, and in the second, €2,340. The same amount was awarded to the other applicants in this case, Razim Amir Aslanly and Goshgar Nuraliyev.
The ECHR also ruled that the administrative arrests of Rahim Veliyev and Yusif Garayev were unlawful, awarding each €1,200 in compensation.
In the case of Vugar Rzali, who complained about an administrative arrest based on a false accusation of disobeying the police, the parties reached an out-of-court settlement, with the government agreeing to pay €2,500 in compensation.
Politics
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Germany's Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, who arrived in Baku today, held a press conference at the COP29 climate conference. When asked about the arrested climate activists and opposition figures in Azerbaijan, she stated that Germany advocates for the release of government critics and that she would raise this issue during her meeting with Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister. She specifically mentioned the name of Professor Gubad Ibadoglu, a doctor from Dresden University.
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The General Assembly of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum (EaP CSF) adopted a resolution on Friday reaffirming its commitment to democratic reforms, regional stability, and European integration amidst escalating geopolitical tensions driven by Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine.
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Activist Nijat Ibrahim, who was detained in Baku pre-trial detention center-1, inflicted numerous wounds on himself on November 20 in protest against unjustified criminal prosecution, his wife Parvin Ibrahim told Turan. According to her, on November 21, her husband called her and informed her that the day before he had inflicted incised wounds on himself with a piece of mirror. In particular, he cut his throat and ears.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres confirmed today that the countries participating in the COP29 climate conference in Baku have not yet reached an agreement on funding for climate change mitigation for the coming year. "I am not part of the negotiations, but as the UN Secretary-General, I urge countries to reach an agreement and not waste time. As I have said before, the clock is ticking," he said at a press conference in Baku. When asked by journalists who was delaying the decision on funding and why, he did not provide an answer.
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