VP/HR — European Court of Human Rights ruling on Azerbaijani refugees

21.7.2015

Question for written answer E-011685-15
to the Commission (Vice-President/High Representative)
Rule 130
Afzal Khan (S&D)

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) recently ruled in the case of Chiragov and Others v Armenia that there had been a continuing violation of Article 1 of Protocol No 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights on protection of property. The case concerned complaints by six Azerbaijani refugees who were unable to return to their homes and property in the district of Lachin, Azerbaijan, from which they had been forced to flee in 1992 during the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. The Court considered that there was no justification for denying the applicants access to their property without providing them with compensation. The fact that peace negotiations were ongoing did not free the government from its duty to take other measures. What was called for was an easily accessible property claims mechanism which would allow the applicants, and others in the same situation, to have their property rights restored and to obtain compensation.

In the light of the ECtHR judgment, what steps can the EU take to ensure that these people’s property rights are restored?

What mechanisms can the EU use to help them obtain compensation?