On December 6, 2008, 17 residents of Imishli, Azerbaijan, received legal assistance from representatives of the American Bar Association (ABA). The meeting was organized by the local IATP center as part of the USAID-funded Traveling Lawyers project, which provides free legal advice to people in Azerbaijan’s rural regions. So far, the pro-bono lawyers have consulted over 850 clients across the country.
The lawyers were asked to solve a host of problems, including land disputes, inheritance issues, social services problems, and criminal claims. Some issues required further legal follow-up from Baku, although many were resolved on the spot by the knowledgeable lawyers. In one case, a client with five children asked at what age his wife was eligible for a pension. His counsel responded that according to Article 8.1 of the Law of The Republic of Azerbaijan on Labor Pensions, women who have given birth to three or more children, have cared for them through age eight, and have paid social welfare taxes for at least five years, are conditionally entitled to a pension at age 49.
One man needed a document certifying his ownership over the house where he currently lives. This kind of problem is typical in Azerbaijan, especially in the country’s remote provinces, as many villagers occupy and build houses on empty, unclaimed plots of land. He did so in 2004, and now requires documents certifying ownership of the property in order to sell the house. The Service of State Registry of Real Estate refused his application, citing his lack of ownership over the land or the structure. The ABA lawyers told him that his only legal recourse would be to check whether the land was municipal property, and if so, buy it from the government. After that, he would be able to submit an application to build the house. If successful, he was instructed to apply to the State Registry and have the structure registered, certifying his right to it.
The IATP center’s unique community center environment and public access point for information make it an ideal partner for other free services provided by USAID projects. One citizen, Celal Ahmedov, said, “This is the first time that we in Imishli have had access to legal consultation from Baku lawyers. We express our gratitude to USAID for supporting programs that help us get legal consultations for free.”
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