Ilgar Mammadov was the leader of the opposition Republican Alternative (REAL) party. Considered an enemy of the Bakou regime he was arrested in 2013 and charged with helping organise riots northwest of Baku. Consequently he had been convicted to seven years in prison.
Human rights groups have described Mammadov’s imprisonment as politically motivated.
In August 2018 the decision by an Azerbaijani court to release him after more than five years in prison has been welcomed by EU and US State Department.
“The European Union has been following Mammadov’s case very closely together with the Council of Europe,” said a statement by Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for EU foreign-policy chief Federica Mogherini.
Spokeswoman of the US State Department Heather Nauert said in a statement on August 15 that Mammadov’s “conviction and imprisonment for over five years raised serious concerns about the rule of law in Azerbaijan”.
Mammadov was released and he tried to meet political friends and journalists. But this didn’t last for long. His Facebook account was closed and his attempt to organise a press conference was blocked by the authorities.
Mammadov continues signing the probation register every 10 days.
Today the government of Bakou refused him to issue a passport. The Ministry of Justice explained that a Supreme Court’s decision is necessary. But, as Mammadov wrote in his twitter account the Supreme Court doesn’t answer his calls.
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Today govt’s “one window” ASAN refused me a passprt & asked for a refernce from JusticeMinistry. TheMinstry will not issue such ref w/out receiving SuprCourt’s decision. The SuprCourt doesn’t answer our calls. Thus, I’m under effective travel ban, although SuprCourt has lifted it
While all of the 3 people convicted with him for the 2nd day of the January 23-24 episodes of 2013 Ismayilli riots have been free since 2016. None of them has travel restrictions.
“I am the only one. Is that because I have won the case twice in the European Court of Human Rights?”, asks Mammadov in a twitter.
Is Ilgar Mammadov under an effective travel ban? Is him again the famous prisoner of Bakou?
