Azerbaijan.US
Azerbaijani politician Ilgar Mammadov has commented on the 28th day since the arrest of opposition figure Ali Karimli, using the moment to recall his own experience of challenging detention at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
In a Facebook post, Mammadov noted that just four weeks after his own arrest, his application had already been submitted to the ECHR in Strasbourg, raising the question of whether Kerimli’s case has reached the same stage.
Mammadov said he deliberately handled the translation of legal documents himself to avoid delays and the risk of inaccuracies, arguing that reliance on third parties can significantly slow down proceedings. He emphasized that a central element of his complaint was Article 18 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which prohibits deprivation of liberty for hidden or politically motivated reasons.
According to Mammadov, invoking Article 18 was considered risky at the time, as the Strasbourg court had rarely ruled on such violations. Nevertheless, he insisted on detailed legal reasoning and factual substantiation rather than leaving the outcome to chance.
The post was accompanied by an extended excerpt from Mammadov’s book, in which he describes the preparation of his ECHR application, cooperation with lawyers, and lessons learned about how governments defend themselves in international courts.
Mammadov’s remarks have been viewed by observers as a broader reflection on legal strategy and timing in politically sensitive cases, rather than a direct update on Kerimli’s legal status.
