Nov 3rd 2014, 16:05, by Thorbjørn Jagland, secretary general of the Council of Europe
Young democracies such as Azerbaijan need help with freedom of expression. Tory threats to leave the ECHR risk it all
Azerbaijans six-month chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe comes to an end in November, when it hands over to Belgium. Like the Eurovision song contest in Azerbaijans capital Baku in 2012, the chairmanship has been an opportunity for NGOs and activists to highlight the countrys numerous human rights violations. Much less is reported about how the Council of Europe itself confronts these violations.
Earlier this month, the European court of human rights, which is part of the Council of Europe, confirmed an earlier decision ruling that Azerbaijans arrest and detention of Ilgar Mammadov, a well-known opposition politician and commentator, violated the European convention on human rights.
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