The ECtHR recognizes a violation of the rights of Emin Huseynov

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced today the decision in the case of the director of the Institute of Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS), Emin Huseynov, who was forced into hiding at the Swiss embassy in Baku in  August 2014 from persecution.

The ECHR found a violation of  Huseynov’s rights under Articles 3 (prohibition of torture), 5 (right to liberty and security,) and 11 (freedom of association) of the European Convention rights and freedoms of citizens.

The court adopted  to allocate 15,000 euros to  Huseynov and another 5,000 euros for legal costs.

The complaint  of Huseynov was associated with the incident in a cafe in Baku in 2008, when the police detained members of the club Che Guevara, who were celebrating the 80th anniversary of the birth of their idol. Huseynov participated in the event as a journalist, but together with the other participants he was detained, and taken to the 22th police department of the Nasimi district. There he was subjected to physical pressure, resulting in dramatically worsening his health. Huseynov was hospitalized and spent four days in  the intensive care ward, and then was treated for a long time. Huseynov complaints against the police in the Azerbaijani courts have produced no results.

 The IRFS was one of the most active civil society institutions involved in the protection of freedom of press and expression. In August 2014 the office of the IRFS was closed after the search and confiscation of equipment and documents.

Huseynov was forced to take refuge in the Swiss embassy. In absentia him was charged under Article 192 (illegal business), 213 (tax evasion) and 308 (abuse of authority), and  on 19 August, 2014  was arrested  as a preventive measure, and was announced as wanted.-16D-