International organizations call Azerbaijani authorities to follow ECtHR's decision on Fatullaev

International organizations welcome the verdict of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) about release of the Azerbaijani journalist Einullah Fatullaev and call the official Baku to immediately fulfil the decision.

Dunja Mijatovic, OSCE official on the freedom of media, was one of the first to react to the decision of the ECtHR: "My office has always demanded this case to be considered from the viewpoint of the freedom of press and under the law. Now, after the decision of the ECtHR, there is only one way - immediate release of journalist Einullah Fatullaev."

The international organization in defence of the press "Reporters without Borders" also welcomed the ECtHR's decision and called the authorities of Azerbaijan to immediately enforce it.

"The criminal prosecution of Einullah Fatullaev shall be stopped. The authorities of Azerbaijan should release him immediately," said Grigori Gogiya, representative of the authoritative Human Rights Watch for Southern Caucasus.

On April 21, the ECtHR ruled that Fatullaev had been twice illegally sentenced in total to 8.5 years of imprisonment. According to the decision of the Court, Fatullaev shall be immediately released; and the government of Azerbaijan shall pay 25,000 euros of compensation to him.

However, the official Baku has negatively treated the ECtHR's decision. As stated to journalists by Fuad Aleskerov, head of the division on work with law enforcement bodies of the administration of the president of Azerbaijan, a direct instruction of the ECtHR to a state to release the applicant from imprisonment "is beyond the Court's competence."