The Council of Europe has launched a rare official investigation into Azerbaijan’s compliance with the European Convention on Human Rights, the
CoE
announced on December 16.
“Judgments from the European Court of Human Rights have highlighted an arbitrary application of the law in Azerbaijan, notably in order to silence critical voices and limit freedom of speech,” said Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland.
“In these worrying circumstances, and given the lack of positive steps to address the situation, I will send representatives to Azerbaijan to seek explanations from the authorities concerning the country’s implementation of the Human Rights Convention. I am particularly alarmed when individuals are deprived of their liberty due to an abuse of power by a country’s legal authorities, as the European Court of Human Rights found in the case of Ilgar Mammadov. This is a very serious violation of the Convention.”
Under Article 52 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the Secretary General can launch an inquiry to find out how the domestic law in any member state makes sure that the convention is properly implemented. According to the CoE press release, inquiries under Article 52 are rare. It is the first time Secretary General Jagland has used this measure.
