Intigam Aliyev is free

On 28 March 2016 the Supreme Court of Azerbaijan ruled to release a human rights activist Intigam Aliyev, being replaced a sentence to seven years and six months of imprisonment into five years conditional one.

Intigam Aliyev is a head of “Society for legal enlightenment”, human rights organisation that provides a legal aid to people with low income. The organisation also publishes materials in legal topic, watches for legislation reform and arranges seminars, conferences and trainings. As a human rights defender Intigam Aliyev submitted more than 200 complaints in the European Court on Human Rights concerning falsification of elections’ results, restriction of freedom of speech and violation the right to fair trial. In 2012 Intigam Aliyev was awarded with prize of “Homo Homini” of “People in Need” organisation for perseverance in protection of human rights.

There are grounds to suppose that arrest and conviction of Intigam Aliyev were connected with the fact that the European Court on Human Rights began to examine the complaint filed by Intigam Aliyev or by his speech in the Parliament Assembly of the Council of Europe. In his speech Intigam Aliyev had criticized the Azerbaijani authorities for non-observance of human rights, and namely the growth of number of political prisoners in the country and reduction of space for functioning of independent NGOs.  

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