ECtHR upholds journalist's complaint against police's actions during 2005 oppositional rally in Azerbaijan

Today, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has found the complaint lodged by the Azerbaijani journalist Sarvan Rizvanov legitimate and obliged the government of Azerbaijan to pay him 4500 euros of moral compensation and 3000 euros to cover the legal costs. This was announced by Intigam Aliev, the head of the "Society for Legal Education", who is defending the claimant's rights.

"The ECtHR has found a violation admitted in relation to Rizvanov, a journalist and former correspondent of the 'Turan' Information Agency, guaranteed by Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which prohibits torture, inhuman or degrading treatment," Intigam Aliev told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, Rizvanov was subjected to police violence on November 9, 2005, in Baku during the oppositional rally in the square in front of the "Gelebe" cinema, which was sanctioned by the authorities.

"Rizvanov was making photos from the mobile journalist's platform. At that moment, Colonel Chingiz Mamedov, the deputy police boss of the Yasamal District of Baku, began beating journalist's legs with a metal rod, forcing him down from the platform and causing traumas. The physical and moral pressure on the journalist continued after he was brought down. Only through interference of local and foreign reporters Sarvan Rizvanov was wrested from the grasp of the police," said the lawyer.

All Rizvanov's attempts to sue the police at Azerbaijani courts were unsuccessful; and in 2006 he filed a complaint with the ECtHR.

"I'm happy that the ECtHR has restored justice and hope that the rights of all my colleagues, who have been pressured by the authorities of the country, will be restored in the same way," the "Turan" quotes Mr Rizvanov, who is now in the forced exile in Germany.