The Committee of Ministers has called on the Azerbaijani authorities to take immediate and concrete steps to ensure the full payment of all amounts due in the case of “Sargsyan v. Azerbaijan.”
Earlier, the “International and Comparative Law Center,” the “Protection of Rights without Borders,” the “Rule of Law” human rights NGOs, and the Union for the Protection of the Interests and Rights of the Artsakh People had submitted a communication to the Committee of Ministers, calling on the Committee to ensure the proper execution of the judgment, and had also reminded that Azerbaijan is not fulfilling its obligations arising from the European Court of Human Rights’ decision of June 16, 2015. From March 9 to 11, the 1553rd meeting of the Committee of Ministers took place, during which the case of “Sargsyan v. Azerbaijan” was also discussed.
The organizations had called for expressing serious concern over the failure to ensure the prompt, full, and effective execution of the judgment, to remove the linkage of the execution of this case with the case of “Chiragov and Others v. Armenia,” to call on the Government of Azerbaijan to submit an action plan for the establishment of a property claims mechanism in line with international standards and to set a deadline for it, to implement active and strict measures to achieve the above-mentioned objectives, and, in accordance with Rule 11 of the Rules of the Committee of Ministers, to refer to the European Court of Human Rights the question of whether the Government of Azerbaijan has fulfilled its obligations.
At the meeting held, the Committee of Ministers expressed deep concern in the case of “Sargsyan v. Azerbaijan” over the lack of progress in the payment of just satisfaction and urged the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately take the necessary concrete steps to ensure the payment of just satisfaction.
The latest and only action plan in the case had been submitted back in 2017, and no progress has been recorded since then. At the 1553rd meeting of the Committee of Ministers, delegates recalled that the Court had obliged Azerbaijan to pay the determined amounts to the applicant’s heirs within three months, which includes pecuniary and non-pecuniary damage, as well as legal costs and expenses. The meeting once again emphasized the unconditional obligation set out in Article 46 §1 of the European Convention on Human Rights, according to which respondent states must fully and effectively execute the Court’s judgments. The authorities were requested to resume dialogue without further delay with both the Committee of Ministers and the Secretariat. The Committee also called on the Azerbaijani authorities to resume dialogue with both the Committee of Ministers and the Secretariat without further delay.
It was also recalled at the meeting that, to facilitate the execution of obligations, the Secretariat had, after extensive consultations, prepared two draft Memoranda of Understanding. These drafts were intended to enable the payment of the just satisfaction awarded by the Court, as well as the accumulated unpaid interest in this case and in the case of “Chiragov and Others v. Armenia,” through a Council of Europe bank account. However, in September 2024, the Azerbaijani authorities informed the Committee that they required more time to assess the draft Memorandum of Understanding.
Since then, no progress has been recorded, which has caused deep concern. The Court has strongly urged the Azerbaijani authorities to take immediate and concrete steps to ensure the full payment of all amounts due, either through the mechanism outlined in the draft Memoranda of Understanding or by making direct payments to the applicant or his heirs.
Taking into account the current situation, the Committee decided to resume consideration of this case at its 1577th meeting on human rights, scheduled for December 2026.