2nd Summer School on the European Convention on Human Rights near Baku / Azerbaijan

From 23 to 27 June 2012, the Second Summer School on the European Convention on Human Rights took place near Baku. It was attended by 32 judges and lawyers from the regions of Azerbaijan who listened to presentations on the fundamentals of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the procedure at the European Court of Human Rights. The Azerbaijan Lawyers Conferderation (ALC), the American Bar Association and the Nikoil Bank co-organised the event together with the IRZ.

Ms. Mirjana Visentin, a lawyer practising in Moscow, and the Freiburg-based lawyer Dr. Michael Kleine-Cosack – both specialising in violations of human rights - started the summer school with a detailed outline of Article 5 ECHR (right to liberty and security). Another focus of the event was on Article 6 ECHR (right to a fair trial) which was covered in depth by the former Presiding Judge at the Federal Administrative Court, Dr. Otto Mallmann. The Berlin-based lawyer Stefan von Raumer primarily dealt with procedural law aspects at the European Court of Human Rights. To actively involve the participants they did not only have the opportunity to ask questions after the presentations and enter into lively discussions, but they also formed small working groups to work on specific cases. In this context they discussed further ECHR articles, for instance the right to respect for private and family life, the freedom of thought, conscience and religion, the freedom of expression and the freedom of assembly and association. Thanks to the close cooperation with the ALC, also outstanding experts from Azerbaijan could be gained for the presentations and cooperation in the working groups, among them Prof. Dr. Latif Huseynov, President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, as well as Mr. Chingiz Askerov, Representative of the Government of Azerbaijan at the European Court of Human Rights. Due to the excellent experts and the delegates’ great interest, the summer school was again considered a success by all those involved. The IRZ will be pleased to continue this topic next year.