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The family of Leyla Yunus is calling on the oil company BP and the British Government to intervene and secure her release from jail in Azerbaijan, the The Telegraph writes.

As noted in the article the family of a woman who once acted as a personal interpreter for Margaret Thatcher are calling on the oil company BP and the British Government to intervene and secure her release from jail in Azerbaijan. Leyla Yunus was arrested in July on what are widely seen as trumped up charges of treason and fraud. Her husband, Arif Yunus was thrown behind bars a few days later.

"Leyla has been beaten and dragged by her hair by a prison guard and she is being subjected to constant psychological abuse," Ramis Yunus, her brother-in-law, told The Telegraph. "I urge BP and the British Government to speak out and pressure the government of Azerbaijan into releasing all political prisoners, including Leyla and my brother. I'm sure that Margaret Thatcher would have condemned the arrest of Leyla and Arif Yunus, whom she knew personally, and she would have found both political and economic means to pressure the government of Azerbaijan to let them go."

As the article notes Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan's president, stands accused of launching an unprecedented crackdown on dissent that has intensified since the beginning of this year, jailing dozens of rights campaigners, lawyers and journalists. “The charges against Mr and Mrs Yunus are "completely bogus, and intended to silence them,” reads the Human Rights Watch organization’s statement.

The Azerbaijan government, however, denies the charges are politically motivated.

As the article notes, imprisonment of Mrs Yunus and her husband are linked to the list of political prisoners that was published by the human rights activist. According to this list there are about 98 political prisoners in the prison.

Analysts believe Mr Aliyev is using the West's distraction by events in Ukraine and the Middle East to liquidate all opposition ahead of the inaugural European Games in Baku next year, which will be sponsored by BP. “Are economic interests more important than human rights? BP should call for the immediate and unconditional release of the political prisoners,” said in a phone call from Amsterdam Leyla’s 29-year-old daughter.