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With reference to a recent judgment from the European Court of Human Rights which it declared final on Monday, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, has called on the authorities of Azerbaijan to release jailed opposition politician and commentator Ilgar Mammadov.

“The court has now rejected the government’s appeal, which means the judgment is final. I therefore call on the authorities to rapidly implement the judgment and to release Mr Mammadov,” he said.

Ilgar Mammadov was sentenced to seven years in prison in March after being charged with offences linked to street riots in the town of Ismayilli in January 2013.

In May of this year, the European Court of Human Rights concluded that Mr Mammadov had been arrested and detained without proper evidence, and that the purpose of his detention had been to silence or punish him for criticising the government and publishing information it was trying to hide.