The Vienna-based International Bar Association has bestowed its 2015 Human Rights Award on jailed Azerbaijani lawyer Intigam Aliyev.
The group made the announcement on October 9, saying the award was "well-deserved recognition of Mr. Aliyev and the instrumental role he has played in promoting human rights and the rule of law in Azerbaijan for more than two decades."
Aliyev founded the Legal Education Society in 1998 to provide legal assistance to marginalized groups. He has represented many Azerbaijani activists and human rights defenders.
In an acceptance letter read on his behalf by his children, Aliyev said he was honored but also sad because "today, in my country, colleagues, conscientious people are facing prosecutions, pressures, and imprisonment."
He was arrested in August 2014 and convicted of illegal business activity, tax evasion, abuse of authority, and other charges in April 2015. He is serving a 7 1/2-year prison term.