ECtHR obliges Azerbaijan’s authorities to pay 33,000 euros to activist and two journalists

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) granted the complaints lodged by journalists Avaz Zeinalov and Elchin Gasanov, as well as activist Bakhtiyar Gadjiev. As a result, the Strasbourg Court obliged the Azerbaijan’s authorities to pay compensation to the complainants in the amount of 33,350 euros. For almost 20 years of Azerbaijan being under the jurisdiction of the ECtHR, sanctions for 20 million euros have been announced against the country, says Khalid Agaliev, a lawyer of the Media Rights Institute.

The “Caucasian Knot” has reported that Avaz Zeinalov (Zeinally) was arrested in October 2011. In March 2012, a court sentenced him to nine years of imprisonment on the charges of tax evading, receiving a large bribe, and extorting money. On December 29, 2014, Azerbaijani President pardoned Avaz Zeinalov, and the journalist was set free. Human rights defenders recognized Avaz Zeinalov as a political prisoner. After the journalist’s release, he continued his human rights activities as a member of the Centre for the Protection of Political Prisoners.

The ECtHR also obliged the Azerbaijan’s authorities to pay journalist Elchin Gasanov (Gasanzade) compensation in the amount of 7500 euros. The journalist appealed against his detention during the filming of a peaceful rally on December 14, 2008, and his beating by the police.

It should be noted that after the events of 2008, pressure on Elchin Gasanov continued. So, in 2016, a court sentenced him to a year of corrective labour on the charge of disorderly conduct, although the journalist himself was attacked. Elchin Gasanov is still being kept in prison on the charge of defamation because of his criticism aimed at officials.

The Strasbourg Court also granted the complaint lodged by Bakhtiyar Gadjiev, the director of the Institute for Public Policy. On March 4, 2011, the activist was arrested and tortured during the first two days after his arrest. The human rights organizations “Human Rights Watch” (HRW) and “Freedom House” condemned the arrest of Bakhtiyar Gadjiev.