Avenue de l'Europe
Sultanov v. Azerbaijan 
| 2011
Vidadi Sultanov complained to the European Court of Human Rights that his right to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly had been violated. He also claimed that he had been ill-treated in police custody and he had had an unfair trial.
Mr Sultanov died before his case could be decided upon. His application was continued by his wife, Mrs Sultanova, who said that the police ill-treatment had damaged her husband’s health, and may have led to his death aged 42.
Before the Strasbourg court examined the case, the Azerbaijani government reached a friendly settlement with Mrs Sultanova. The government agreed to pay 10,000 euros to cover damages, costs and expenses.
Mrs Sultanova was paid the money specified in the friendly settlement.
The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers continues to monitor the excessive use of force by law enforcement officers in Azerbaijan and the lack of effective investigations into ill-treatment.
When she was four years old, Tabitha Mitunga was held by the Belgian authorities for almost two months – without family, friends, or anybody to look after her. She suffered psychological damage and the European court ruled that her rights had been violated. Her case highlighted the need for better protections for unaccompanied children in Belgium and led to substantial reforms.
From the age of 14, Henriette Akofa Siliadin was kept in domestic servitude. She worked all day, 7 days a week for over 4 years, for no pay. The people responsible could not be properly brought to justice, because French law had not criminalised their actions. The case helped bring about legal reforms to combat human trafficking.
Whilst in their parents’ care, four children were exposed to terrible neglect and emotional abuse. The European court found that the local authority had known about the abuse and had the power to take steps to protect the children, but it had not done so for four-and-a-half years. The children were awarded damages which provided funds for future psychological care.
Azerbaijan
Belgium
France
United Kingdom