On March 24, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced a decision on the complaint of the editor of the Azadlyg newspaper Ganimat Zahid, said lawyer Khalid Agaliyev, who monitors the decision of the ECHR on Azerbaijan.
According to him, the complaint was related to the seizure and destruction of the manuscript of the book, which Zahid wrote while in prison, when he was convicted in Azerbaijan on charges of hooliganism.
Zahid asked to recognize the violation of his rights under the Article 10 (freedom of expression), Article 6.1 (right to a fair trial), Article 13 (right to an effective remedy) and 14 (prohibition of discrimination) of the Convention and the Article 1 (property rights) of Protocol No. 1 to the Convention.”
The ECHR found a violation of Zahid’s rights under the Article 10 (freedom of expression) and Article 6.1 (right to a trial) of the European Convention.
At the same time, the ECHR saw no need to investigate part of the complaint under other Articles.
The ECHR ordered the government to pay compensation to Zahid in the amount of 8,500 euros.
Ganimat Zahid was arrested in November 2007 on charges of hooliganism. He was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
However, in March 2010, Zahid was released early under a presidential pardon order.
Some time after his release, Zahid emigrated from Azerbaijan.
Source: IRFS