ECHR condemned Azerbaijan for two illegal cases
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) declared that the 2005 arrests of former Azerbaijani Economic Development Minister Farhad Aliyev and former National Academy of Sciences President Eldar Salayev were illegal.
The court found on November 9 that the two men's right to "liberty and security" and the presumption of innocence were violated. It ruled that Azerbaijan must pay Aliyev 16,000 euros ($22,330) in non-pecuniary damage and 25,000 euros for costs and expenses.
Aliyev was arrested in October 2005 on suspicion of being involved in a planned coup d'etat. In a judgment upheld by the Azerbaijani Supreme Court in July 2009, he was convicted of a number of criminal offenses, including embezzlement and actions aimed at usurping state power.
In his appeal to the ECHR, Aliyev complained of the conditions of his pretrial detention and the lack of adequate medical care.