Last update page: December 18, 2015
Update December 18, 2015
Prominent Azerbaijani human rights activist Leyla Yunus has been released from prison on grounds of her deteriorating health, although she and her fellow activist husband both face treason charges in a separate case. Her husband, Arif Yunus was sentenced to seven years in prison on similar charges but was released in November, also on health grounds. Although they have been released their guilty verdict has not yet been overturned. Read more about their story below.
Leyla Yunus was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison and her husband, Arif Yunus, to 7 years, following a purely politically motivated prosecution and a trial that fell short of international standards. As part of a huge crackdown on civil society in Azerbaijan, they faced charges for fraud and treason.
A Human Rights Watch representative was in the courtroom during the reading of the verdict, and observed "the extremely frail and ill appearance of the two human rights defenders. Arif Yunus was unable to sit up, but had to lie on a bench provided in the glass cage where defendants sit, with his head on his wife’s lap. In the stifling courtroom, Leyla Yunus was fanning her husband the whole time and looked close to fainting herself."
Over the past year, Leyla and Arif have been denied proper health care, leading to a worrisome deterioration of their health. Arif has developed a visible tumor on the back of his head, and is being denied proper medical treatment. The court refused a motion by defense lawyers to release the ailing Arif to serve his detention in house arrest.
Representatives of foreign diplomatic missions, human rights activists, and journalists gathered outside the courthouse for the start of the trial but most were not admitted into the building. Correspondents on the scene reported that the only journalists allowed into the courtroom were those from pro-government news outlets. Slate and Human Rights Watch published an article on the importance of international observance of this case. Radio Free Europe published an account of the first day of the trial.
On August 3rd, Arif Yunus lost consciousness in the courtroom due to high blood pressure. The doctors determined that his health does not allow his further participation in the trial.
In a letter to the public, published in the week of her preliminary trial, Leyla Yunus gives a moving account of the situation she and her husband Arif are facing. Of their ill treatment by security forces and the upcoming investigation she says, "Our physical destruction is planned. Why? So that our sufferings, our death becomes the lesson for everyone. The fear can find its place in the hearts of citizens. Fear and despair. I don’t have any illusion regarding this court, as to so-called investigation. Investigators and judges are given instructions from above on which articles to falsify the case or to make up the crime from, to which term of duration to sentence".
In an interview with Vice News, Dinara Yunus, the daughter of Leyla and Arif, emphasized the critical role that international pressure can play in the case of her parents, "It shouldn't go silent because the moment it does go silent they will just sentence them to death in a prison. So I expect international attention... This isn't how human rights defenders should be treated. People who help others and have dedicated their lives to human rights".
Read Leyla's latest letter from prison where she discusses her husband's deteriorating health and the upcoming verdict in their trial.
We continue our support and call upon the international community, to take action on their, and the 96 other political prisoners in Azerbaijan, demanding their immediate release.
Leyla Yunus is in Azerbaijan one of the most prominent human rights defenders and protagonists of women's leadership. She is the founder and chairman of Azerbaijan's Institute for Peace and Democracy. The main focus of her work is human rights defense and peacebuilding. Her work includes projects to protect political prisoners, defend women’s rights, combat torture, corruption, human trafficking, and property rights violations, as well as monitoring court proceedings. She has been innovative in her human rights activism by her ability to combine the traditional work of human rights defense (monitoring, witnessing, reporting, denouncing violations and providing practical support to individuals suffering those human rights violations) with very direct, strategic action at the right time and place. This is witnessed by her outspokenness and ability to generate broad awareness on issues of human rights and peace building.
Recent public activities of speaking out against human rights violations in relation to international events hosted by Azerbaijan (the 2012 Eurovision Song Festival and the First European Olympic Games, to be hosted in 2015) have resulted in her arrest and detention (since July 30, 2014) by the Azerbaijan authorities.
The work of human rights defenders in Azerbaijan is increasingly impeded. More than seven NGO bank accounts are frozen, and the personal accounts of NGO leaders were also subjected to the decision on freezing. These measures are in line with a trend of using financial regulations to limit the space of human rights defenders. WPP is greatly concerned about increasing threats towards peacebuilders and (women) human rights defenders in the Caucasus region. We call for an increase of efforts to ensure the safety of these brave activists, who's work is vital to advancing human rights and peace.
On Thursday, 30 July, 2014 Azerbaijani human rights defender Leyla Yunus was arrested and placed in pre-trial detention on the charges of treason and fraud. A couple of days later her husband Arif Yunus was arrested for the same charges. The arrest of Leyla Yunus is the second within four months; she was arrested and detained for several days in April 2014.
On February 18, 2015, Leyla's pre-trial detention was extended for another 5 months, ending on July 28. Her trial is now scheduled to begin on July 27, 2015. By then, she will be in prison for over a year.
The health situation of Leyla Yunus is worrying. She suffers from diabetes and has kidney problems. Proper food and adequate medicine are vital for her. Up till now she has not been able to visit a doctor. Urgent hospitalization is needed but the penitentiary institution refuses access to medical care. Leyla issued a statement on August 12, emphasizing the risks of torture for her and her husband, and the importance of access to medical treatment. Beginning of 2015, we received news that Leyla is slowly loosing her eyesight because of an eye decease. As a result of lack of access to medical care and proper food while in detention, it is difficult for Leyla to recover from the eye decease. It will only become worse. In addition, Leyla is experiencing major liver problems. She urgently needs medication and medical treatment.
Late October, 2014, two of Leyla's lawyers have been forcibly removed from her case, while a criminal case is filed against her third lawyer, by the cellmate of Leyla. This happened one day after President Hollande from France asked the President of Azerbaijan for the release of Leyla Yunus. Leyla's access to legal support was already for a long time under pressure. In September 2014 we received news that Leyla’s lawyers were denied access to her for the second day in a row. At the time, her lawyers issued a joint statement that they were denied access to her: “As Leyla Yunus lawyers, we declare that due to the recent events in the cell where Leyla Yunus is kept, the denial to meet with her lawyers and the denial to create the possibility to reach to her through telephone, by indicating her illness as an excuse, raise serious concerns in us.” They also issued a strong statement about her health situation to date: "Further Time in Prison will Kill Leyla Yunus" This news came after a two-week period during which Leyla consistently reported escalating violent physical and verbal attacks against her by a cellmate.
During the preliminary trial, the couple sat apart from their lawyers in a glass-walled courtroom cage. All motions on their behalf were denied by the judge. Read about the preliminary trail in this article by Radio Free Europe. Member of the European Parliament and eyewitness of the trial Kati Piri classifies the trial in her blog as: "Show trial of Leyla Yunus and husband started in Azerbaijan".
Leyla, considered by Amnesty International a prisoner of conscience, and Arif Yunus, considered by Amnesty International a prisoner of conscience, are not the only prisoners of conscience in Azerbaijan. Leyla and Arif have been working on a complete list of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, but were arrested in the process. Other human rights activists have now finalized the list and translated it into English. The list contains 98 people; bloggers, human rights activists, political opposition etc. Access the complete list here.
In a letter to the public published on the week of her preliminary trial, Leyla Yunus gives a moving account of the situation she and her husband Arif are currently facing. Of their ill treatment by security forces and the upcoming investigation she says, "Our physical destruction is planned. Why? So that our sufferings, our death becomes the lesson for everyone. The fear can find its place in the hearts of citizens. Fear and despair. I don’t have any illusion regarding this court, as to so-called investigation. Investigators and judges are given instructions from above on which articles to falsify the case or to make up the crime from, to which term of duration to sentence".
Amidst the grim news we receive about the situation of Leyla and Arif, the nomination of Leyla for the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize by the Women Human Rights Defenders International Coalition is a glimmer of hope. WPP strongly supports this nomination.
On November 13, 2014, the Norwegian Helsinki Committee (NHC) awarded the Andrei Sakharov Freedom Award to all political prisoners of Azerbaijan. According to NHC, "[t]his award is given to all of the political prisoners. It is a sad fact that they are too numerous to all be mentioned here." In their press release, they specifically mention the work of Leyla Yunus, Anar Mammadli, Rasul Jafarov and Intigam Aliyev. Read there press release here
On October 24, 2014, Leyla was awarded the Polish Prize of Sérgio Vieira de Mello.
Leyla was also among the three nominees for the European 2014 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. On October 21 it was announced that Denis Mukwege was awarded the award for his great work for rape victims in DRC. Nonetheless, the European Parliament committed to sending an official parliamentary delegation to visit Leyla in prison. We want to thank the Greens and the Greens/ EFA group and the European Stability Initiative for their great efforts to get Leyla nominated. Watch this great video of Members of the European Parliament standing with Leyla for the Sakharov price.
Leyla was also among the nominees for the Dutch Human Rights Tulip.
We urge everyone to support and join the following initiatives, calling on the authorities to immediately secure the release of leading human rights defender Leyla Yunus from pretrial custody, and drop the politically motivated charges against her and her husband Arif Yunus.
The Women Peacemakers Program calls for the immediate release of Leyla and Arif Yunus, dropping all charges against her and her husband. While they remain in in prison we also demand access to proper healthcare and food. We call for the immediate stop to actions of the Azerbaijani authorities limiting the space for human rights defenders.
Take action and share these statements with your network. Leyla and her husband need all the support they can get.
Read Dinara Yunus' blog and twitter, where she shares updates on the condition of her parents and the struggle for their release.
Read Amnesty's blog (in Dutch) about Leyla's work and the importance to raise awareness about human rights in relation to the European Games in Azerbaijan. We can also recommend reading the European Stability Initiative website in support of Azerbaijani human rights activists.
Do you have useful information about the situation in Azerbaijan, or would you like more information about what you can do and the various actions in support of Leyla and Arif Yunus, please contact us via info@womenpeacemakersprogram.org.
12 Dec '17 Today, we are pleased to share with you the Conference Report “Financial Inclusion for Freedom and Security” by the Women Peacemakers Program, Duke Law International Human Rights Clinic, Human Security Collective, Transnational Institute, the Charity & Security Network, in cooperation with the Knowledge Platform Security and Rule of Law.
7 Dec '17 Today, on the 13th day of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Campaign, we bring you the sad news that from 15 December onwards, the Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) will have to close its doors. We would like to ask for your time to read what has driven us to make this decision.
7 Nov '17 On Thursday, 26 October 2017, a side event entitled, “Pulling the Rug from Under Our Feet: What is the UNSCR 1325 Without Civil Society Freedoms?” was hosted on the margins of the 17th anniversary of United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1325. The event was hosted by the Women Peacemakers Program (WPP) and the Dutch Mission, in collaboration with Duke Law’s International Human Rights Clinic, Al-Hayat Center for Civil Society Development, Arab Women Organisation of Jordan, NOVACT, Free Sight Association, Iraqi Al-Amal Association, Women Empowerment Organisation, NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. This article briefly looks at the main issues discussed during the event.
