The Committee of Ministers’ Deputies are set to discuss the case of imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist Eynulla Fatullayev, who remains in jail despite a European Court of Human Rights judgment on 22 April ordering the Azerbaijani government to release him immediately.
“The ongoing imprisonment of investigative journalist Eynulla Fatullayev is totemic of the Azerbaijani government’s disregard for its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. Council of Europe Member States cannot continue to turn a blind eye to Azerbaijan’s alarming freedom of expression record,” said Rebecca Vincent, Europe Programme Manager, ARTICLE 19.
“Given the clear court order to release journalist Fatullayev, the Committee of Ministers needs to recall the State’s obligation to abide by the judgments of the European Court and that such is unconditional and is a requirement for the membership of the Council of Europe,” said Florian Irminger, Head of the Geneva office of the Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF).
The Committee of Ministers’ Deputies are set to discuss the case of imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist Eynulla Fatullayev, who remains in jail despite a European Court of Human Rights judgment on 22 April ordering the Azerbaijani government to release him immediately.
“The ongoing imprisonment of investigative journalist Eynulla Fatullayev is totemic of the Azerbaijani government’s disregard for its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. Council of Europe Member States cannot continue to turn a blind eye to Azerbaijan’s alarming freedom of expression record,” said Rebecca Vincent, Europe Programme Manager, ARTICLE 19.
“Given the clear court order to release journalist Fatullayev, the Committee of Ministers needs to recall the State’s obligation to abide by the judgments of the European Court and that such is unconditional and is a requirement for the membership of the Council of Europe,” said Florian Irminger, Head of the Geneva office of the Human Rights House Foundation (HRHF).
Representatives from four international non-governmental organisations will undertake a joint advocacy mission to the Council of Europe during the Ministers’ Deputies meeting to raise their serious concerns regarding freedom of expression in Azerbaijan, particularly the Azerbaijani government’s non-compliance with the European Court’s ruling in Fatullayev’s case. The participating organisations, which are members of the International Partnership Group for Azerbaijan, include ARTICLE 19, the Human Rights House Foundation, Reporters Without Borders, and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers.
Source: ARTICLE 19