The European Court of Human Rights has ruled on an application by journalist Eynulla Fatullayev against Azerbaijan, which he filed during his time in prison from 2007 to 2011. The court recognized most of the law violations alleged by the journalist’s lawyers.
What is the decision of the court: The European Court has stated that the state has not complied with its obligations under Article 34 of the European Human Rights Convention. Besides, the state was found to have violated Article 6 of the Convention – national courts were unfair. According to the court, he was not given a chance to present evidence that the drug was placed on him by officials and prove that the criminal case was fabricated. As the court decided, the government must pay the journalist 4,000 euros.
What was the motive for the complaint: Eynulla Fatullayev claimed that the charges against him at the time of his arrest in 2007 were fabricated and drugs had been placed on him by officials. According to him, it all happened due to his critical journalism.
What happened in 2007: The journalist was convicted of two counts of libel, threat of terrorism, incitement of ethnic hatred, and tax evasion and sentenced to eight years and six months in prison. While in custody, he was sentenced to additional 2 years and 6 months in prison for possession of heroin.
Since his release from prison, Fatullayev has changed his style, avoiding critical journalism and embracing official narratives. His news websites, Haqqın.az and Minval.az, have long been known for their pro-government stance.
