PACE President Anne Brasseur calls on Azerbaijan to free Ilgar Mammadov, as well as speed up reforms to implement European Convention on Human Rights standards

Following yesterday’s final decision of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Ilgar Mammadov, Anne Brasseur has called on the authorities to free him "without delay, as well as to execute the Court’s judgment in his case, which has now become final”.

“Ilgar Mammadov’s case has highlighted systemic deficiencies in the functioning of justice in Azerbaijan. These need to be urgently addressed and I call on the authorities to speed up reforms, so as to implement fully the standards of the European Convention of Human Rights,” she added.

During her recent visit to Azerbaijan, the PACE President met Mr Mammadov in prison, as well as two other human rights defenders currently in detention, Tofiq Yagublu and Hilal Mammadov.

Ilgar Mammadov was arrested in early February in connection with the riots in Azerbaijani city of Ismayili.

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.