Chiragov and others win case against Armenia at ECtHR

The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights has announced its judgment in the case of Azerbaijani nationals displaced from the occupied Lachin district versus Armenia. The case originated in an application against the Republic of Armenia lodged with the Court on 6 April 2005 by six Azerbaijani nationals forcibly displaced from the occupied Lachin district of Azerbaijan in May 1992.  The six citizens of Azerbaijan – Elkhan and Adishirin Chyragov (1950 and 1947), Ramiz Dzhabrailov (1960), Akif Hasanov (1959), Fakhraddin Pashayev (1956) and Gara Jebrailov (1940) – were the plaintiffs in the 'Chiragov and others v. Armenia' case. All claimants except Akif Hasanov live in Baku now. The court ruled in favor of the applicants, recognizing continuing violations by Armenia of a number of their rights under the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, namely, those relating to the protection of property (Article 1 of Protocol No. 1), the right to respect for private and family life (Article 8 of the Convention) and the right to an effective remedy (Article 13 of the Convention). The Court affirmed the right of displaced persons to return to their homes and places of habitual residence, and reminded about the relevant standards and principles under international human rights. The sides were given 12 months to announce the amount of compensation which Armenia should pay the applicants.