Ilham Amiraslanov
A trial that has been going on for 4 months once again proved that real reasons behind my arrest were not legal, but were about political motives – my legal and civic activism. I am a lawyer specialising in political cases and have participated in hundreds of such cases throughout my 25 year career.
Ilham Amiraslanov is an active member of Kura Civil Union and a prominent figure in the movement for justice for the victims of the flooding of the Kura River in May 2010.
The space for human rights defenders (HRDs) and NGOs has been steadily shrinking in Azerbaijan. A number of legislative amendments have been adopted in recent years that restrict the work of HRDs and put their activities under strict governmental control. The roundup of the most prominent HRDs and their subsequent trials and imprisonment indicate that Azerbaijan is well on the road towards authoritarianism, seemingly adopting a Russian-style contempt of civil society.
