European Court of Human Rights: the Azerbaijani authorities should pay more than 50,000 Euro to opposition

Today the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg published the ruling on the claim of four opposition members arrested 
in Azerbaijan after the presidential elections in October 2003.  They are  the head of the central executive body of  "Musavat"  party Arif Hajili,  head of Democratic Party Serdar Mamedov (Jalaloglu), an opposition activist Panah Huseynov, editor of the newspaper "Yeni Musavat" Rauf Abbasov (Arifoglu). 

According to the European Court's website, the Azerbaijani authorities are obliged to pay 10,000 Euro as compensation to each of them. Besides, 3,200 Euro must be paid to Sardar Mamedov and the same amount to Panah Huseynov to cover the costs for the work of a lawyer Fuad Agayev.  Arif Hajili should be paid 3000 Euro compensation, and Rauf Abbasov - 1500 Euro. 

All payments must be made done within three months without any tax deductions.  All four opposition leaders were sentenced to 4-5 years of imprisonment for organizing mass riots on October 15-16, 2003.  But six months later they were pardoned and released. 

The European Court decided their right for a fair trial and other items stipulated in the Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights have been violated. 

Previously Sardar Jalaloglu already won the case in the European Court against the Azerbaijani government for illegal arrest, and he was paid 10,000 Euro compensation. -16D04-