Azerbaijan appeals to Grand Chamber on ECHR 's decision on Azerbaijani journalist

The case on appeal of former chief editor of Daily Azerbaijan and Real Azerbaijan newspapers Eynulla Fatullayev has been transferred to the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Azerbaijani Government's  Representative to the European Court Chingiz Asgarov told journalists today.

The ECHR announced its decision regarding Fattulayev's appeal on its website on April 22. The court demanded to release the journalist immediately.

According to the requirements of Article 43 of the European Convention on Human Rights, either party may, in exceptional cases, request the case be referred to the Grand Chamber before the expiration of three months after the decision, Asgarov said.

The Azerbaijani side is dissatisfied with the ECHr's decision and therefore appealed to the Grand Chamber, he added. 

Fatullayev was arrested on April 20, 2007 and sentenced to 8.5 years. He was accused of calls for terrorism, inciting ethnic hatred and tax evasion.

In December 2009, about 0.223 grams of heroin was found in Fatullayev's shoes and jacket.

A criminal case was filed under Article 234.1 (illegal purchase or storage narcotics or psychotropic substances of the Criminal Code.

The Court sentenced Fatullayev to additional 2.6 years in jail.


/Trend/