Ilgar Mammadov detained during a protest rally in Baku, 2013. (Photo: Turkhan Kerimov, RFE/RL)
Government should Release Ilgar Mammadov, Other Unjustly Imprisoned Activists
STRASBOURG, France (Human Rights Watch) ”“ Azerbaijan is finally facing consequences for keeping political activist Ilgar Mammadov behind bars in violation of his rights and its legal obligations. On September 21, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers decided to trigger legal infringement proceedings against the country.
This may seem like a baby step, but it’s not. Rather, it’s unprecedented and bold ”“ something the Council of Europe has never done before. The proceedings could ultimately lead to suspending Azerbaijan’s voting rights or its expulsion from the Council of Europe.
In May 2014, the European Court for Human Rights delivered an unambiguous judgment: It found the detention, since February 2013, of political analyst and critic Mammadov illegal, stating it was aimed at “silenc[ing] and punish[ing] him for criticizing the government.”
