STRASBOURG: Europe's top rights court ruled Wednesday that Azerbaijan had violated its human rights obligations by ignoring a judicial order to free a jailed opposition leader critical of strongman President Ilham Aliyev.
The Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) found the country had flouted its 2014 ruling to release Ilgar Mammadov, who was jailed in 2013 and ultimately freed only in August 2018.
The ECHR is part of the Council of Europe (CoE), the pan-European rights body which Azerbaijan joined in 2001.
It ruled five years ago that criminal proceedings against Mammadov had no legal basis and were politically motivated.
The latest ruling comes amid growing concern about the rights record of Azerbaijan under Aliyev even as the capital Baku hosts more and more glitzy global events including the Formula 1 Grand Prix and Wednesday's Europa League football final.
"Azerbaijan had failed to fulfil its obligation to comply with the Court's 2014 ruling," the tribunal said.
"He remained in detention for almost four years after the court's judgement had become final on 13 October 2014."
The government "had taken only limited steps to implement the judgement, which had not amounted to Azerbaijan acting in 'good faith'," it added.
This meant Azerbaijan had flouted its obligations under the European Human Rights Convention, said the court.
A committee of CoE ministers will now decide what further action to take.
This is the first time the court has issued a ruling under so-called infringement proceedings for flouting ECHR rulings.
Pro-democracy campaigner Mammadov was widely expected to run in presidential elections against Aliyev when he was arrested in February 2013 on charges of causing unrest in the town of Ismayilli.
He denied any role in the trouble, which saw police and protesters clash, but was sentenced in 2014 to seven years in jail for "inciting anti-government riots".
Under Aliyev, Azerbaijan has faced strong international criticism for silencing dissent and opposition media. Human Rights Watch has accused it of "cracking down on human rights activists and critical journalists".
Last year, he secured a fourth consecutive presidential term with 86 percent of the vote, in elections criticised by international observers.
He has ruled the oil-rich Caspian state since 2003, after the death of his father, Azerbaijan's Soviet-era Communist leader and former KGB general Heydar Aliyev.
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