Azerbaijani democracy advocate Anar Mammadli was awarded the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). The award is given each year to recognize the contribution of individuals to “outstanding civil society action in defense of human rights in Europe and beyond.”

Mammadli did not accept the award in person, however, because he is in prison.

Since 2001, as chairman of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center (EMDS),  Mammadli helped to recruit and train thousands of Azerbaijani citizens to monitor elections in the country and participate in efforts to advance civil society activism, human rights and citizen engagement in community decision making.

Mammadli, a longtime NDI partner, has coordinated closely with various international organizations and networks in an effort to help Azerbaijan move toward international standards. During the award ceremony, PACE President Anne Brasseur thanked Mammadli for sharing “his valuable expertise on the situation in his country."

Shortly after issuing a critical report of election processes surrounding the October 2013 presidential election, EMDS was targeted by a government investigation into its finances and activities.

Mammadli was placed in pre-trial detention in December. Although no witnesses or evidence of wrongdoing have been produced, Mammadli – and two other leaders of his organization – was sentenced to five and a half years in prison on charges of tax evasion, profiteering and abuse of authority in trying to influence the outcome of the election.

The €60,000 (approximately $76,000) prize was presented to Mammadli’s father, Asaf Mammadov, at a special ceremony today in Strasbourg.

Published Sept. 29, 2014