EU demands from Azerbaijani authorities to release Ilgar Mamedov

The European Union (EU) has expressed its regret at the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) of Azerbaijan on the case of Ilgar Mamedov, the leader of the movement "Republican Alternative" (ReAl) and urged the authorities to enforce the decision of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to release him.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on March 17, 2014, Ilgar Mamedov, the leader of the ReAl, and Tofig Yagublu, the deputy chairman of the "Musavat" Party, were sentenced to seven and five years in prison, respectively. They were accused of organizing mass riots in the city of Ismayilli in 2013. Mamedov and Yagublu refused to plead guilty. On November 18, the SC of Azerbaijan rejected the cassation complaint lodged by Mamedov and Yagublu.

The decision of the Azerbaijani SC on Ilgar Mamedov's cassation complaint contradicts the 2014 ECtHR's decision on his case, says the statement of Maiya Kosyanchich, the press secretary of Federica Mogherini, the EU High Commissioner for Foreign Policy, released on November 21 by the EU representative office in Baku.

"We call on Azerbaijan, as a member of the Council of Europe, to comply with its obligations under the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR) and enforce the ECtHR's decision on Mr Mamedov," says the statement.

According to Ms Kosyanchich, the EU calls on the Azerbaijani authorities to release the oppositional politician.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.