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“Today, celebrating Human Rights Day in 2013 in Azerbaijan is the same as celebrating Hanukkah in Auschwitz in 1943 by Jews. Of course, we celebrate it with a heavy heart and uncertainty that will live to see the liberation," reads the statement of the Director of the Azerbaijani Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD) Leila Yunus, which is published on the site of "Turan" news agency.

"More than 140 (!) Political prisoners and prisoners of conscience lose their health and life in prison. After another usurpation of power by October 9 trails on false charges go around the whole country. In Sheki and Ganja Detention Units where Ilgar Mamedov (REAL movement) and Tofig Yagublu (Musavat) are taken to is actually tuned into months-long ordeal. In Lyankyarani the judicial farce over Yadigar Sadikhov (Musavat) is aimed at demonstrating to the inhabitants of the south: even the most intelligent, bespectacled teacher will be recognized as a hooligan and will be arrested!" noted Yunus, listing the trials of opposition activists in Azerbaijan.

As noted in the statement, in the Azerbaijani Court of Grave Crimes the youth are taught: "When the master orders, not 8 but 8.000 will be condemn as drug-terrorists, and no Europe and America will help you."

Leila Yunus writes that during the first 2 months after the presidential elections held on October 9 in the republic, those four people who had the courage to oppose the force of the word of truth and the power of the rich, ruling authoritarian regime in Azerbaijan, are already imprisoned: it is the human rights defender Gurban Mamedov (sentenced to 3 years imprisonment), theologian Thale Bagirov (sentenced to 2 years imprisonment), journalist Sardar Alibeili (sentenced to 4 years imprisonment), blogger Rashad Ramazanov (sentenced to 8 years imprisonment).

Leila Yunus notes that "the word of truth" has always frightened dictators and occupiers, and Azerbaijan, according to her, it occupied by criminal authoritarian regime.

"Citizens expect to avoid terrible fate of the freethinkers by their silence and submission. The most important thing is to feed their families, to ensure their children's future, and therefore they need to be quiet, in order to live calmly - our compatriot thinks. And then wonders: what for (?), when they come to demolish his house, he can defend neither his family, nor his house," the statement reads.

Leila Yunus notes that the Mejidovs’ family from Devechinski region of Azerbaijan did not manage to protect their children (7 and 14 years old daughters) when in 2007, by the order of chief of the local police, they were kidnapped to be sold. "But at least the boys survived, thought the relatives of this family. In Novruzali Mamedov’s family (professor and linguist, editor of "Tolyshi Sado") survived only his widow, he and his two sons were killed in 2008 – 2009," reminds IPD director.

"When you are not driven into the gas chamber and the furnace, but are appointed to work at the furnace and to remove the ashes by shovel, it is not yet a guarantee, my dear citizens, that tomorrow you will not rake the ashes of your children and your parents: Happy Holidays! Happy Human Rights Day Azerbaijanis!" Leila Yunus sums up.