The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) deplores the arbitrary detention of Azerbaijan human rights lawyer Fariz Namazli by the State Security Service (SSS) on 31 August 2024.
He was detained without an official summons, and without being informed of the reasons for his detention. Namazli was released later that day without charge.
The ICJ is concerned that the arrest was intended as an extra-legal act of persecution solely in response to his legitimate professional and human rights work. It appears to be part of a wider strategy by Azerbaijan authorities to obstruct lawyers defending human rights and politically sensitive cases.
The ICJ calls for the immediate cessation of harassment of all independent lawyers and urges the responsible authorities to independently investigate the arbitrary arrest of Fariz Namazli.
The Azerbaijan Bar Association, of which Fariz Namazli has been a member since 2012, should take the necessary measures to protect the lawyers they represent and ensure a free and independent legal profession.
“This incident is but the latest in a series of attacks on independent lawyers and the legal profession in connection with politically sensitive cases as perceived by the authorities,” said Temur Shakirov, Director (ad interim) of the ICJ Europe and Central Asia Programme. “It is essential that Azerbaijan complies with its international obligations and ensures that legal professionals can carry out their work without fear of reprisal in line with UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers.”
The ICJ emphasizes that lawyers play a crucial role in upholding the rule of law and protecting human rights, and any interference with their work undermines the independence of the justice system.
Fariz Namazli specializes in human rights cases, including strategic litigation before domestic courts and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). His arrest and detention were procedurally arbitrary, as they were carried out without any stated reasons, and he was not informed of the reasons for his detention prior to being taken into custody. This violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the European Convention on Human Rights, both of which Azerbaijan is a party to.
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