ECtHR awards compensation to Azeri human rights organization

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has ordered Azerbaijani authorities to pay 24,900 euros to the Resource Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, as well as to its head, Asabali Mustafaev, for an unjustified blocking of bank accounts and a ban on leaving the country.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in 2014, Azerbaijani law enforcers blocked the accounts of the Sumgait-placed Resource Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, and of Asabali Mustafaev, a lawyer and the head of this NGO. This was done as part of the criminal investigation into the abuse of power and official forgery initiated against the NGO. Mustafaev was also banned from travelling abroad. It was only in 2019, that he achieved the cancellation of this ban.

On October 14, the ECtHR made a decision to recover compensation from Azerbaijani authorities based on the complaints of the above Resource Centre and Asabali Mustafaev. The complaints concerned the blocking of bank accounts and the ban on Mustafaev's travels abroad.

The ECtHR has obliged Azerbaijan to pay 8000 euros to the Resource Centre, and 15,000 euros personally to Mustafaev as compensation for material damage and moral harm, as well as 1900 euros to reimburse the legal costs, says a post placed on the ECtHR's website.

The bank accounts remain blocked, Asabali Mustafaev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. "As soon as the decision comes into force, we'll seek to unblock the accounts," Mr Mustafaev has added.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 14, 2021 at 08:26 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.