European court fines Azerbaijan €1.7 million

ECHR fines Azerbaijan

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has fined the Azerbaijani government approximately €1.7 million. The plaintiffs in the case are former homeowners whose properties were located on the site of the “Winter Park” in central Baku. The park has been in operation since 2013, and the homes were demolished during its construction.

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The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) announced its new ruling against Azerbaijan on 14 January 2025. In the case addressing violations of property rights, the ECHR acknowledged the alleged violations back in 2022 but granted the parties time to resolve the issue of compensation.

The case concerns disputes over property rights that arose from the demolition of buildings and homes in the area during the construction of “Winter Park” in central Baku.

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By order of the Head of the Baku Executive Authority on 24 September 2008, over 500 residential and non-residential buildings were demolished on Fuzuli, Samad Vurgun, Shamsi Badalbeyli, and Topchibashev Streets, and the residents were relocated. All applicants in this case complained of violations of their property rights and the right to a fair trial.

In 2022, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) consolidated 14 applications from Azerbaijani citizens into a single case and ruled that there had been interference with the applicants’ property rights. The Court also found a violation of Article 6 of the Convention concerning four of the applicants.

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According to the ruling of the European Court announced two days ago regarding the applicants’ claims for fair compensation, all applicants must be paid compensation for material and moral damages, as well as reimbursement for legal costs, within three months. The total compensation owed to the applicants amounts to €1,693,892.

In addition, the applicants must also be reimbursed for postal and other expenses totaling €692.

ECHR fines Azerbaijan