Akimova v. Azerbaijan | 2007

Woman wins legal fight to get her apartment back

...the Court considers that the interference in question was in breach of Azerbaijani law and incompatible with [Valentina's] right to the peaceful enjoyment of her possessions.

Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, December 2007

Background

The Azerbaijani courts ruled in favour of the eviction of a displaced family who were illegally occupying Valentina Akimova’s property – but indefinitely postponed taking any action against them.

In 1997, Valentina had lent her modest apartment to an acquaintance who said he would carry out vital repair works.

However, the man subsequently moved in relatives who, four years earlier, had been forced to leave the Agdam region of the country, which had come under Armenian military control during the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh in the early 1990s.

When Valentina found out the family were occupying her apartment, she asked them to leave. They refused to do so, saying they had nowhere else to go.

Valentina then tried to get the courts to evict the strangers.

Following a long legal battle, the Azerbaijani courts upheld Valentina’s request, ruling that her tenancy rights were undisputed, and that the family should leave.

However, the courts decided to postpone the implementation of the judgment until the family were able to return to Agdam.

By the time the European Court of Human Rights examined Valentina’s case, Agdam remained under the control of Armenian forces and the family were still living in her apartment.

Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights

The European court ruled that there was no legal basis for the Azerbaijani courts to have postponed the execution of the judgment in Valentina’s case, enabling the family to continue occupying the apartment illegally.

This violated Valentina’s right to property.

Follow-up

Following the European court’s ruling, Azerbaijan’s top court, in a decision of 21 January 2008, overturned the previous domestic judgments about the delayed enforcement of the eviction order.

Valentina regained possession of her apartment on 14 March 2008. She was also able to obtain some compensation for what had happened to her.

The Azerbaijani authorities widely disseminated the European court’s judgment among judges and legal professionals to ensure the law is not misapplied again, as it was in Valentina’s case.

Additional information

Themes:

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