Experts assume sanctions against Baku after the CoE's reaction to Ilgar Mamedov's case

The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE) is concerned about the failure of Azeri authorities to enforce the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in Strasbourg obliging them to release the opposition leader Ilgar Mamedov. The Committee sees here a violation of Article 46 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Experts believe that this may entail sanctions against Azerbaijan.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Ilgar Mamedov, the leader of the movement "Republican Alternative" (ReAl), on March 17, 2014, was sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of organizing mass riots in the city of Ismayilli in January 2013.

On September 20-21, the Mamedov's case was discussed at the session of the CoE's Committee of Ministers. The Committee reminded that Azerbaijan had committed itself to voluntarily enforce the ECtHR's decisions.

Rasul Jafarov, an Azerbaijani rights defender, has suggested that an option of sanctions against Azerbaijan may be a temporary deprivation of the country's vote in the Committee of Ministers.

Khalid Agaliev, a lawyer and a member of the Public Association "Civil Society Platform", believes that "after several appeals, the Committee of Ministers has finally toughened its rhetoric on Mamedov's case."

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.