Suit is filed against Leyla Yunus in Azerbaijan; human rights activist has made an appeal
The Investigation Department for Grave Crimes of Azerbaijani General Prosecutor's Office was filed a suit against Leyla Yunus, the human rights defender, director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, Azerbaijani information agency "Salamnews" reports.
Human rights activist is charged with "money embezzlement, tax evasion," etc., Rashid Hajili the lawyer of Leyla Yunus, told.
"The prosecutors’ was unable to accuse me of spying, so now they try to fabricate charges with financial crimes against me and other civil society activists," reads the letter written by Leyla Yunus.
She also noted that today, on May 29, at 10:05 investigator Ibrahim Lemberansky from the Grave crimes investigation Department of General Prosecutor Office phoned her and called her to the prosecutor’s office. Human rights activist wrote that she refuses to go to the prosecutor's office, until she and her husband Arif Yunus are returned their passport.
Azerbaijani portal "Haqqin.az" reports that Leyla Yunus has refused to opened the door of her apartment for the employees of the Prosecutor General's Office, who had brought her the summons to the Investigation Department for Grave Crimes.
It is reported that Yunus has made an appeal addressed to public and to the media, which is disseminated in social networks. In her address Leyla Yunus states that in the coming hours her apartment at 125 N.Narimanov avenue will be "attacked by the police." She encourages everyone to come to her house.
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.