The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that Azerbaijan must pay 30,000 euros ($32,000) in damages to the widow of well-known journalist Elmar Huseynov, who was shot dead in 2005.
In a ruling released on April 13, the Strasbourg-based court said the investigation into the murder “had not been effective, adequate, or prompt, having so far lasted more than 12 years.”
The ECHR also said the Azerbaijani authorities “had not taken all the measures available to them” to ensure that the two Georgian nationals suspected in the case be prosecuted.
According to the court, Huseynov's widow, Rusaniyya Huseynova, was constantly denied access to the case file and no adequate steps had been taken to explore whether her husband’s murder could have been linked to his journalistic activities.
Huseynov was known for his criticism of Azerbaijani authorities, including President Ilham Aliyev.
He was 37 when he was shot dead in Baku on March 2, 2005. His colleagues and relatives say his apparently well-planned murder was ordered by Azerbaijani officials.