International organizations call for an end to violations of the rights of lawyers in Azerbaijan

Baku / 05.12.19 / Turan: Four international organizations sent a letter to the Bar Association of Azerbaijan, condemning the disproportionate disciplinary measures taken against human rights advocate Shahla Humbatova on November 27, 2019.

The removal of Humbatova from advocacy was another sign that the Presidium of the bar association is systematically “undermining” advocacy, depriving Azerbaijanis of legal remedies in violation of their rights, the message says.

In recent years, an increasing number of independent lawyers have been harassed and dismissed for participating in political affairs, especially with regard to human rights violations.

Humbatova was also involved in these matters, which is why she was subjected to pressure.

In particular, she was threatened after she declared the poor health of her client, political prisoner and blogger Mehman Huseynov in January 2019.

Humbatova defended numerous high-ranking Azerbaijani political prisoners and currently defends several defendants in the Ganja riot case in 2018, reporting cruel torture, forced confessions, and fabricated charges.

The Bar Association has previously harassed its members, depriving them of licenses, such as for Yalchin Imanov, Alaif Hasanov, Khalid Bagirov, Irada Javadova and others.

“Each new dismissal, removal or reprimand serves as a warning for any member of the bar association not to engage in the protection of human rights,” the statement says.

The signatories of the appeal urge the Bar Association to restore the license of Humbatova and other human rights advocates who had previously been unreasonably deprived of her.

We also call on the government of Azerbaijan to comply with international standards on the protection of the legal profession, including those contained in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers reads the message. The message was signed by Civil Rights Defenders, Freedom House, and International Partnership for Human Rights, Lawyers for Lawyers. -0-