Rights defenders assess chances for execution of ECtHR's decision on Lapshin's case

In Baku, human rights defenders have disputed about Lapshin's chances of receiving the monetary compensation for his arrest, torture and attempted murder in prison appointed by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on September 11, 2017, the President of Azerbaijan pardoned Alexander Lapshin, a blogger, who was sentenced on July 20, 2017, to three years in prison on charges of illegally crossing the country's border. After his release, the blogger was hospitalized. According to Azerbaijani authorities, he had attempted suicide. Lapshin himself treated the incident in the Baku prison as an attempted murder.

On October 11, the Grand Chamber of the ECtHR refused, following a complaint from the Azerbaijani party, to change the ECtHR's decision of May 20, in which Azerbaijani authorities were found guilty of the illegal arrest, torture and attempted murder of the blogger and journalist, Alexander Lapshin, in the Baku prison. The Court ordered Baku to pay Lapshin, now living in Israel, a monetary compensation in the amount of 30,000 euros, the website "Dw.com" reports.

Khalid Agaliev, a lawyer at the Institute of Media Rights, believes that the Azerbaijani government will implement the decision without long delay. "Lapshin has ceased to be an irritating factor in Azerbaijan. His rejection was caused by his unilateral support for the position of the Armenian party, his demonstrative visits to [the territories that Azerbaijan treats as its own] and boasting about it. After Azerbaijan regained control over its territories as a result of the second Karabakh War, Lapshin's 'propaganda' has lost its sense," Mr Agaliev has stated.

He has added that until now, authorities have fully complied with ECtHR's decisions in relation to foreign citizens. The delays of paying compensations are applied to opposition members.

Elshan Gasanov, the head of the Centre for Monitoring Political Prisoners, believes that the implementation of the ECtHR's decision is strictly dependent on the political will of Azerbaijani authorities. "They don't particularly burden themselves with legal obligations and even with the enforcement of ECtHR's decisions. We have dozens of them unfulfilled," Mr Gasanov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on October 13, 2021 at 11:56 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.