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"Today, publication of my and my husband’s photos with the crosses on our necks, sounds as a statement, made by the MPs of the Ruling Party and the members of the Academy of Sciences, calling us traitors, criminals and spies of Armenia; this is a frank appeal for violence and pogrom," stated Azerbaijani human rights activist Leyla Yunus in an interview with the REX news agency.

The human rights activist noted that she publicly criticizes the authors of the Azerbaijani history textbooks, in which children from the age of 10 are taught that Christians are enemies of the Azerbaijani people, and the Armenians are called "black clothed faithless."

"I, as a doctor of historical sciences, would never imagine that the school history books will suggest, that the initiators of the division between Muslim Shiites and Sunnis in Azerbaijan were the Christians and surely the Armenians," Yunus notes.

A human rights activist says that there were Azerbaijanis and Armenians living in their backyard, as well as Russians, Jews, Tatars and Ukrainians. Yunus noted that there was no difference in nationality and faith for her and there is no till now: "And today, when the pro-governmental newspapers, Internet portals, radio and television shout out that my husband and I are “traitors and enemies of our homeland” and that I am not native Azerbaijani but a “Russian-speaking half-blood”, when the police colonel I. Asadov publicly, in front of the journalists, justifies the policeman who used violence against me stating that I was not an Azerbaijani but an Armenian, then I start fearing for the future of my country."

Leyla Yunus recalled how during one of the meetings, an illiterate and ignorant hick Azerbaijani called for reprisal against the Christians, and the Armenians in particular. "A nationally-known film director was sitting beside me, I asked him to speak out and stop that nonsense. The honored artist replied that he spoke Azerbaijani not that well to repel rioters, his hands were shaking. Then I took the floor and spoke in Russian and openly said (much in Russian) who the previous speaker was. Of course, my speech was interrupted, and of course, they attacked me with their fists. But the thugs are bold only when there is no resistance there," said Yunus.

To the question why the leadership of Azerbaijan prevents the development of "people's diplomacy", the human rights activist said that the authoritarian regimes always need an external enemy against whom it carries out a propaganda; they use it to link their opponents with it and to accuse them of that linkage: "We have actually returned back to the Soviet times, to 30s. The slogan of the day is – "Who is not with us, is against us." Task of the regime is to control everything and everyone, including the "people's diplomacy."

According to her, when the people’s diplomacy limits with the controlled meetings of civil society activists of Armenia and Azerbaijan in the vast expanses of Eurasia, meetings which pass like boxing fights, it is still bearable. When the Armenian and Azerbaijani collaboration becomes uncontrollable by the Azerbaijani authorities, then a "red light" sparkles immediately.

Note that in the evening of April 28 in the airport of Baku while departing to Doha famous Azerbaijani human rights activist Leyla Yunus and her husband conflictologist Arif Yunus were detained. They intended to fly to Paris, then to Brussels by the invitation of EU to participate in an international event. Leyla Yunus was taken to the Department of Grave Crimes of Azerbaijani Prosecutor General’s office for questioning, where she spent 9 hours. Her husband who was detained with her was hospitalized in pre-infarction condition. Search of Yunus’ apartment and IPD office was conducted.

Note that Human Rights Commissioner of the Council of Europe, Nils Muiznieks, U.S. State Department, the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan and human rights organizations, such as the Norwegian Helsinki Committee, Human Rights Watch, Freedom House and the International Federation of Human Rights Organizations (FIDH) have condemned the detention of human rights activist Leyla Yunus in Baku.

Earlier in Baku the journalist of Azerbaijani newspaper Zerkalo Rauf Mirkadirov was arrested. He was accused of conducting espionage for Armenia.