European Court of Human Rights Took up Case of Journalist from Azerbaijan

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has accepted for review the statement of the correspondent of Turan IA and the radio station Voice of America ​​Tapdig Farhadoglu (Guliyev).

The application has been awarded a number and assigned barcodes for the defense in any future correspondence on the Farhadoglu case. This means that the application is made correctly, by the standards of the ECHR, said the lawyer representing the interests of the journalist, Samir Agayev.

The complaint stems from the fact that the police failed to investigate the attack on him while covering a protest of BSU students. As a result, the journalist suffered serious injuries and partial disability.

According to Agayev, the complaint raises questions of violation of journalists' rights guaranteed by Articles 3 (prohibition of torture and inhuman treatment); 6 (right to a fair trial) and 10 (freedom of expression) of the European Convention for Human Rights and Freedoms.

The next step in the investigation of the complaint named Guliyev against Azerbaijan will be Strasbourg Court’s communication with the Azerbaijani authorities.

 There is no timing for this procedure and it is at the discretion of the ECHR.

* On February 20, 2014 the head of BSU security Mahir Hojjatov repeatedly struck the journalist and kicked him on the back and on the head, when Farhadoglu was shooting the protest of students.

Colleagues recorded the attack on the journalist. In fact, a crime was committed under article 163 of the Criminal Code (obstruction of the lawful activities of a journalist).

Despite the presence of video and other evidence, the prosecutor's office of the Yasamal district refused to open a criminal case on the fact. The journalist appealed the investigator's failure to act in the Yasamal Court, but in vain. Farhadoglu’s appeal was also rejected. -06B-