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LEILA YUNUS: AZERBAIJAN RULED IN MAFIA-CLAN MODE
arminfo
Tuesday, May 22, 20:31
"The situation in Azerbaijan's human rights is appalling and the
campaign 'Sing for Democracy' has been created in order to attract
the world's attention to the problems in this area". So commented the
director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD), Leila Yunus,
at a press conference on the results of the campaign by local human
rights activists on the eve of Eurovision.
Contact.az quotes Yunus as saying that Azerbaijan is not even an
authoritarian regime, but a mafia-clan management system. Today,
the country has 70 political prisoners. Some of them sit in jail for
participating in peaceful demonstrations, for which even in Russia
they give 15 days.
Within the number of political prisoners, Yunus also included 10
activists of the Islamic Party sentenced to 10-12 years in jail on
trumped-up charges of coup d'etat.
Yunus also focused attention on the arrest of seven journalists, who,
following Eurovision, could be imprisoned for 5-7 years. In addition,
criminal charges were brought against four human rights defenders.
Yunus paid particular attention to the violation of property rights
of citizens. 60,000 residents of Baku have been illegally evicted from
their apartments. Eurovision has accelerated this process," said Yunus,
adding that the seizure of property took place in violation of the
laws, without a decision by the Cabinet or official budget allocations.
Turning to European journalists, Yunus urged them not to remain
indifferent to the issue of human rights in Azerbaijan.
"Say no to corruption in Europe and to the corrupt politicians, do
not take money from the Aliyev regime, say yes to democracy in the
faraway country of Azerbaijan," she said. However, the statement by
Yunus caused a hysterical reaction by pro- government journalists
from the state media. One of them protested against anti-government
statements, seeing a "violation of ethics" in the words of Yunus.
arminfo
Tuesday, May 22, 20:31
"The situation in Azerbaijan's human rights is appalling and the
campaign 'Sing for Democracy' has been created in order to attract
the world's attention to the problems in this area". So commented the
director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD), Leila Yunus,
at a press conference on the results of the campaign by local human
rights activists on the eve of Eurovision.
Contact.az quotes Yunus as saying that Azerbaijan is not even an
authoritarian regime, but a mafia-clan management system. Today,
the country has 70 political prisoners. Some of them sit in jail for
participating in peaceful demonstrations, for which even in Russia
they give 15 days.
Within the number of political prisoners, Yunus also included 10
activists of the Islamic Party sentenced to 10-12 years in jail on
trumped-up charges of coup d'etat.
Yunus also focused attention on the arrest of seven journalists, who,
following Eurovision, could be imprisoned for 5-7 years. In addition,
criminal charges were brought against four human rights defenders.
Yunus paid particular attention to the violation of property rights
of citizens. 60,000 residents of Baku have been illegally evicted from
their apartments. Eurovision has accelerated this process," said Yunus,
adding that the seizure of property took place in violation of the
laws, without a decision by the Cabinet or official budget allocations.
Turning to European journalists, Yunus urged them not to remain
indifferent to the issue of human rights in Azerbaijan.
"Say no to corruption in Europe and to the corrupt politicians, do
not take money from the Aliyev regime, say yes to democracy in the
faraway country of Azerbaijan," she said. However, the statement by
Yunus caused a hysterical reaction by pro- government journalists
from the state media. One of them protested against anti-government
statements, seeing a "violation of ethics" in the words of Yunus.