Reactions to the disbarment of Aslan Ismayilov: Human Rights Commission of the Supreme Bar Council in Poland called on the Director of the Department for East of Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Poland to take action to restore Aslan Ismayilov to the profession, and to introduce systemic legal solutions aimed at guaranteeing and respecting the autonomy of attorneys in Azerbaijan. In a letter of the Commission we read that “the application of disciplinary sanctions against lawyers cannot have unsubstantial grounds and be motivated by current political events.” May 8, 2013, the Azerbaijani Supreme Bar Association removed the attorney Aslan Ismayilov from Bar. In opinion of human rights defenders, the decision was politically motivated and remained in connection with the critical remarks made by Aslan Ismayilov towards the Azerbaijani authorities and with his engagement in a series of publicized cases of human rights violations in Azerbaijan. The Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights has asked the Polish Supreme Bar Council, as well as the Polish Ambassador in Baku, for an intervention. HFHR stressed that the lack of respect for the freedom and independence of attorneys is a major problem in Azerbaijan that has been indicated by many of the country’s lawyers. In their view, the representatives of the justice system are hostile towards attorneys and deliberately obstruct their work and contacts with clients. Attorneys are denied for many days the mere possibility of establishing where there clients are being held. The HFHR pointed out that according to international standards, attorneys should be provided freedom and independence in their professional actions. Without proper respect for this rule, neither suspects nor accused persons can fully enjoy their rights. HFHR also sent letter to the President of the Council of Bars and Law Societies in Europe and the President of the International Bar Association in London. We called on these bodies to express public condemnation of the Azerbaijani Supreme Bar’s Association decision against Aslan Ismayilov. In the opinion of the HFHR, such a condemnation would be a signal of international solidarity between representatives of the legal profession around the world in a common endeavor to further respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms. In a response o the HFHR appeal, Ambassador to Baku pointed out that the disbarment of Aslan Ismailov is a problem known to the Polish embassy, ambassadors of the EU Member States, and the EU Delegation in Baku. It was discussed by the representatives of these delegations, joined by diplomats from Norway, Switzerland and representatives of the OSCE and the Council of Europe in Azerbaijan, during a hearing on human rights issues. At the same time the ambassador pointed out that the Bar Council is an independent professional body and as such, in accordance with the local law, is autonomous from the government of Azerbaijan. For obvious reasons, a delegation of the third country has no right to demand explanations from such a body. The Ambassador stressed that the promotion of EU values as human rights, democracy, freedom of the media is one of the most important tasks in the work of Polish institutions. 1.europapraw.org/en/news/reakcje-na-pozbawienie-mozliwosci-wykonywania-zawodu-adwokata-aslana-ismayilova 2.kancelaria.lex.pl/czytaj/-/artykul/polscy-adwokaci-bronia-kolegi-z-azerbejdzanu 3.europapraw.org/files/2013/05/Evangelos-Tsouroulis.pdf 4.europapraw.org/files/2013/05/odp_ambasador_baku.pdf
Posted on: Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:15:31 +0000
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