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Turan Information Agency, Azerbaijan
October 18, 2014 Saturday
Human Rights Watch: Leyla Yunus arrest may be extended
A hearing on whether to extend the pretrial detention of an outspoken
Azerbaijani activist is expected during the week of October 20, 2014,
Human Rights Watch said today. Leyla Yunus, who is in ailing health,
has been held since July 30 and her husband, Arif, also ailing, since
August 5, both on politically motivated charges.
The Azerbaijan authorities should immediately release both the Yunuses
and drop the charges against them, Human Rights Watch said. The
government should investigate Leyla Yunus's allegations of
ill-treatment in custody and hold those responsible accountable.
"The arbitrary detention of Leyla and Arif Yunus is a travesty and a
clear attempt by the Azerbaijan government to silence them with bogus
charges," said Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director
at Human Rights Watch. "The government needs to free them immediately
and drop the charges."
Yunus, director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, was sent to
pretrial custody for three months when the couple was arrested on July
30. A court is set to rule on whether to extend her pretrial detention
period the week of October 20, but the date of the hearing has not
been announced.
The arrests of the Yunuses occurred amid Azerbaijan's fierce and
ongoing crackdown on independent voices, including human rights
defenders, independent journalists, bloggers, and political activists.
Yunus, whose organization has focused on combating politically
motivated prosecutions, corruption, violence against women, unlawful
evictions, and people-to-people dialogue between Azerbaijan and
Armenia, is a finalist for the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize
for Freedom of Thought. The prize honors "exceptional individuals who
combat intolerance, fanaticism, and oppression." The winner will be
announced on October 21.
Leyla Yunus's health has deteriorated in custody, and her lawyers and
relatives have raised concern that she is not receiving appropriate
care. Yunus suffers from severe diabetes and kidney problems and
requires medication, a special diet, and food at specific intervals.
After Arif Yunus, who had been delivering food and medicine packages
to his wife, was taken into custody on August 5, Leyla Yunus did not
receive appropriate food or medication for nearly two weeks and her
condition declined.
In letters to her husband and in meetings with her lawyers, Leyla
Yunus described ill-treatment by the prison authorities and her
cellmate. In a statement, her lawyers reported that on September 23 a
prison official twisted Yunus's arms, took her to an empty cell, and
hit her and pulled her hair, pulling some out, while berating her.
Yunus reported the incident to prison officials but it was not
investigated.
She also reported that she has been repeatedly attacked and beaten by
her cellmate, which she believes was at the behest of the authorities.
The incidents have not been effectively investigated nor have the
authorities moved Yunus to a different cell. Instead, Yunus was
reprimanded for banging on the door and calling for help after one
attack. Yunus was also barred from making personal phone calls for a
month.
International standards on the treatment of prisoners require the
government of Azerbaijan to ensure that Leyla Yunus receives
appropriate medical care for her health conditions, including
providing necessary food and medications and, if necessary,
transferring her to a hospital.
Police charged the Yunuses with treason and economic crimes when they
were arrested on July 30. Leyla Yunus was sent to pretrial custody and
Arif Yunus was initially released under house arrest because of his
poor health. He has suffered two heart attacks in recent months.
Police took him into custody on August 5, though, allegedly for
violating the terms of his house arrest, as he tried to deliver food
and medicine to his wife.
Remand hearings, which are usually closed, are pro forma proceedings
lasting only a few minutes. They do not consider the merits of the
case, only the appropriate pretrial restraining measure. Defendants
are not always brought to court for the hearings. Leyla Yunus's lawyer
informed a relative that the prosecutor will file for a renewal of
custody on October 23.
The authorities should take the opportunity of the end of Yunus's
initial custody period to drop the charges and release her, Human
Rights Watch said. On October 17, President Ilham Aliyev issued a
pardon for four youth activists and released them.
Over the last two-and-a-half years the government has brought or
threatened unfounded criminal charges against 50 independent civil or
opposition political activists. In the months since Azerbaijan assumed
chairmanship of the Council of Europe, the region's foremost human
rights body, it has dramatically intensified its efforts to trammel
peaceful activists and independent groups.
The authorities have arrested at least 11 people, including the
Yunuses, and convicted at least 9 others on politically motivated
charges, sentencing them to prison terms after flawed trials. Several
prominent activists have fled or gone into hiding, fearing arrest on
spurious charges.
The government has also recently introduced draft amendments to
restrict foreign funding to independent groups, which would make it
virtually impossible for them to operate in Azerbaijan's already harsh
climate for these groups.
Azerbaijan's restrictions on civil society triggered a recent decision
by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to require
Azerbaijan to undergo a compliance check with EITI's rules requiring
respect for fundamental freedoms.
"Azerbaijan should end its assault on independent activists and show
its international partners such as EITI and the Council of Europe that
it is ready to play by the rules," Denber said. "Azerbaijan's partners
should demand the release of all wrongfully imprisoned activists,
including Leyla and Arif Yunus, and make clear there can be no
business as usual until the crackdown ends." -0-
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
October 18, 2014 Saturday
Human Rights Watch: Leyla Yunus arrest may be extended
A hearing on whether to extend the pretrial detention of an outspoken
Azerbaijani activist is expected during the week of October 20, 2014,
Human Rights Watch said today. Leyla Yunus, who is in ailing health,
has been held since July 30 and her husband, Arif, also ailing, since
August 5, both on politically motivated charges.
The Azerbaijan authorities should immediately release both the Yunuses
and drop the charges against them, Human Rights Watch said. The
government should investigate Leyla Yunus's allegations of
ill-treatment in custody and hold those responsible accountable.
"The arbitrary detention of Leyla and Arif Yunus is a travesty and a
clear attempt by the Azerbaijan government to silence them with bogus
charges," said Rachel Denber, deputy Europe and Central Asia director
at Human Rights Watch. "The government needs to free them immediately
and drop the charges."
Yunus, director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, was sent to
pretrial custody for three months when the couple was arrested on July
30. A court is set to rule on whether to extend her pretrial detention
period the week of October 20, but the date of the hearing has not
been announced.
The arrests of the Yunuses occurred amid Azerbaijan's fierce and
ongoing crackdown on independent voices, including human rights
defenders, independent journalists, bloggers, and political activists.
Yunus, whose organization has focused on combating politically
motivated prosecutions, corruption, violence against women, unlawful
evictions, and people-to-people dialogue between Azerbaijan and
Armenia, is a finalist for the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize
for Freedom of Thought. The prize honors "exceptional individuals who
combat intolerance, fanaticism, and oppression." The winner will be
announced on October 21.
Leyla Yunus's health has deteriorated in custody, and her lawyers and
relatives have raised concern that she is not receiving appropriate
care. Yunus suffers from severe diabetes and kidney problems and
requires medication, a special diet, and food at specific intervals.
After Arif Yunus, who had been delivering food and medicine packages
to his wife, was taken into custody on August 5, Leyla Yunus did not
receive appropriate food or medication for nearly two weeks and her
condition declined.
In letters to her husband and in meetings with her lawyers, Leyla
Yunus described ill-treatment by the prison authorities and her
cellmate. In a statement, her lawyers reported that on September 23 a
prison official twisted Yunus's arms, took her to an empty cell, and
hit her and pulled her hair, pulling some out, while berating her.
Yunus reported the incident to prison officials but it was not
investigated.
She also reported that she has been repeatedly attacked and beaten by
her cellmate, which she believes was at the behest of the authorities.
The incidents have not been effectively investigated nor have the
authorities moved Yunus to a different cell. Instead, Yunus was
reprimanded for banging on the door and calling for help after one
attack. Yunus was also barred from making personal phone calls for a
month.
International standards on the treatment of prisoners require the
government of Azerbaijan to ensure that Leyla Yunus receives
appropriate medical care for her health conditions, including
providing necessary food and medications and, if necessary,
transferring her to a hospital.
Police charged the Yunuses with treason and economic crimes when they
were arrested on July 30. Leyla Yunus was sent to pretrial custody and
Arif Yunus was initially released under house arrest because of his
poor health. He has suffered two heart attacks in recent months.
Police took him into custody on August 5, though, allegedly for
violating the terms of his house arrest, as he tried to deliver food
and medicine to his wife.
Remand hearings, which are usually closed, are pro forma proceedings
lasting only a few minutes. They do not consider the merits of the
case, only the appropriate pretrial restraining measure. Defendants
are not always brought to court for the hearings. Leyla Yunus's lawyer
informed a relative that the prosecutor will file for a renewal of
custody on October 23.
The authorities should take the opportunity of the end of Yunus's
initial custody period to drop the charges and release her, Human
Rights Watch said. On October 17, President Ilham Aliyev issued a
pardon for four youth activists and released them.
Over the last two-and-a-half years the government has brought or
threatened unfounded criminal charges against 50 independent civil or
opposition political activists. In the months since Azerbaijan assumed
chairmanship of the Council of Europe, the region's foremost human
rights body, it has dramatically intensified its efforts to trammel
peaceful activists and independent groups.
The authorities have arrested at least 11 people, including the
Yunuses, and convicted at least 9 others on politically motivated
charges, sentencing them to prison terms after flawed trials. Several
prominent activists have fled or gone into hiding, fearing arrest on
spurious charges.
The government has also recently introduced draft amendments to
restrict foreign funding to independent groups, which would make it
virtually impossible for them to operate in Azerbaijan's already harsh
climate for these groups.
Azerbaijan's restrictions on civil society triggered a recent decision
by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) to require
Azerbaijan to undergo a compliance check with EITI's rules requiring
respect for fundamental freedoms.
"Azerbaijan should end its assault on independent activists and show
its international partners such as EITI and the Council of Europe that
it is ready to play by the rules," Denber said. "Azerbaijan's partners
should demand the release of all wrongfully imprisoned activists,
including Leyla and Arif Yunus, and make clear there can be no
business as usual until the crackdown ends." -0-
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress