The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) acknowledged the violation of rights of Azerbaijani citizens who were arrested and fined for participation in protests in 2013-2014, and ruled that they be paid compensation in the amount of 81,690 euro on April 6.
The claimants in this case were investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova; Kyamalya Bananyarli, a member of the Azerbaijani Popular Front Party, and also Sahavat Mehtiev, Azer Sadygov, Osman Ahmedov, Tunjay Guliev, Tural Sadigli, Javid Gajibeyli, Orhan Eyubzade, Vyusal Bayramov, and Javid Garaev.
The ECHR based its decision on the fact that the government, which dispersed the protests and punished participants, did not provide sufficient evidence that such action was justified.
The dispersal of the protests was found a violation of freedom of assembly and the trials for these cases were deemed unfair.
The ECHR ruled that the claimants be paid compensation for non-material damage in the amount of four to eight thousand euros. Additionally, it was ruled that compensation of 480 to 850 euro per person is owed to those who were fined.
