ECHR finds Azerbaijani authorities used excessive force in 2015 Nardaran raids, awards €23,000 to two detainees

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on September 8 issued a ruling finding violations of Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights in connection with a 2015 police operation in the Nardaran settlement of Baku. The applicants in the case are identified as supporters of the Müsəlman Birliyi Hərəkatı, Şamil Abdüləliyev and Aqil İsmayılov. The court found that both men were subjected to excessive force at the time of their apprehension and that authorities failed to provide adequate medical treatment and to conduct effective investigations into their allegations of ill-treatment.

The case relates to a special operation carried out by security forces on November 26, 2015, in homes in the Nardaran neighbourhood. Azerbaijani authorities have said that members of the Müsəlman Birliyi attacked officers with firearms, grenades and knives and that six people — including two police officers — were killed during the operation. The applicants maintain that they had been attending a religious gathering and that police fired on people inside the house without distinguishing between those present. Multiple people were reported injured in the operation.

In its judgment the ECHR recognised that the force applied to both Abdüləliyev and Ismayilov at the time of their detention and while in custody amounted to a violation of the absolute prohibition on torture and inhuman or degrading treatment under Article 3. The court underlined that the applicants did not receive necessary medical care following their treatment and that the domestic authorities did not carry out an effective investigation into the complaints of ill-treatment, thereby breaching the procedural obligations under Article 3 as well.

As compensation for non-pecuniary damage the court awarded €10,000 to each applicant and ordered payment of €1,500 each for costs and expenses. The total sum arising from this decision therefore amounts to €23,000. The court's ruling adds to a series of ECHR findings related to the Nardaran events: in an earlier judgment the court recognised breaches of Article 3 in the cases of Müsəlman Birliyi leader Taleh Bağırov and journalist Fikrət İbişbəylı, awarding €10,000 to Bağırov and €5,000 to İbişbəylı for non-pecuniary damage.

Both Abdüləliyev and Ismayilov had been convicted on a range of charges following the 2015 operation; the two men were later released in 2021 under a presidential pardon. The ECHR judgment specifically notes the applicants’ detention and treatment during custody as the context for determining violations of the Convention. The court’s decision highlights recurring concerns about the conduct of law-enforcement operations, the treatment of detainees, access to medical care in custody and the adequacy of domestic inquiries into allegations of ill-treatment.

The ruling also notes subsequent developments in domestic proceedings: Şamil Abdüləliyev is again in detention on separate criminal charges related to narcotics. According to court records cited in reporting, Bakı Ağır Cinayətlər Məhkəməsi initially sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment on that charge, a sentence later increased to six years by the Bakı Apellyasiya Məhkəməsi; Abdüləliyev has stated in court that he is not guilty.

The Nardaran operation and the prosecutions that followed were among the most prominent security-related cases in Azerbaijan in recent years. Authorities reported dozens of detentions after the operation, with some sentenced to terms from one-and-a-half to six-and-a-half years on weapons and public order charges, and more than 40 people facing heavier accusations including attempted overthrow and terrorism-related offences. Müsəlman Birliyi members have consistently denied that they killed police officers or possessed weapons, saying those arrested were unarmed.

By finding breaches of Article 3, the ECHR has reiterated the international human-rights obligations of Council of Europe members to refrain from ill-treatment, to ensure detainees receive necessary medical care, and to investigate credible allegations of abuse effectively. The decision will likely prompt renewed attention from rights groups and international monitors to the fate of those detained in the Nardaran prosecutions and to broader concerns about detention conditions, use of force and accountability for human-rights violations in Azerbaijan.