Ni Ilham Aliyev

Piesiuent of the Republic of Azeibaijan

Azeibaijan Avenue 7
1uuS Baku
Republic of Azeibaijan
Fax: +99412492SS4S anu +99412492u62S
Email: officepa.gov.az


S August 2u14

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0n 28 Apiil 2u14 2*3$# 4/./1, Biiectoi of the Institute foi Peace anu Bemociacy5 anu hei husbanu
histoiian Aiif Yunus, weie pieventeu fiom leaving the countiy at Baku's aiipoit. Leyla Yunus was then
uetaineu anu inteiiogateu by police iegaiuing the case of the aiiesteu jouinalist Rauf Niikauiiov, the
investigative jouinalist of the leauing Russian-language newspapei !"#$%&', who was also chaigeu
with tieason, anu questioneu about the links between the jouinalist anu the Institute foi Peace anu
Bemociacy. Seaiches weie fiist conuucteu in the office of the oiganisation that she heaus, anu latei
continueu in the piivate home of Leyla Yunus until the evening of 29 Apiil 2u14. Leyla Yunus anu hei
husbanu Aiif Yunus weie aiiesteu on Su }uly 2u14. 0n that uay, Leyla Yunus was sentenceu to S-
months pie-tiial uetention, whilst hei husbanu was placeu unuei police guaiu anu not alloweu to
leave Baku. The chaiges biought against Leyla Yunus aie those of state tieason (aiticle 274 of the
Ciiminal Coue of the Republic of Azeibaijan), laige-scale fiauu (aiticle 178.S.2), foigeiy (aiticle S2u),
tax evasion (aiticle 21S), anu illegal business (aiticle 192).
We aie in paiticulai conceineu about Leyla Yunus' health whilst in uetention. She suffeis fiom
uiabetes anu neeus appiopiiate meuication, as well as aiiangements to eat at ceitain times, necessaiy
to contiol the illness. We woiiy that the conuitions in uetention will have a uetiimental effect on hei
health conuition, as it appeais that she is to uate not pioviueu with auequate health caie.
Leyla Yunus has been banneu fiom tiavelling abioau anu hei passpoit has been confiscateu. Bence hei
pie-tiial uetention is unnecessaiy anu enuangeis hei health.
6'+% 4/./1 was aiiesteu on S August 2u14 anu also sentenceu to S-months pie-tiial uetention. Aiif
Yunus is a wiuely iespecteu outspoken intellectual in Azeibaijan, ieseaichei anu wiitei, incluuing on
issues ielateu to the conflict between Aimenia anu Azeibaijan.
Leauei of the Institute foi Peace anu Bemociacy, Leyla Yunus is an inteinationally well-known
Azeibaijani human iights uefenuei. Bei Nu0 is a membei of the South Caucasus Netwoik of Buman

2

Rights Befenueis anu has fiom the veiy stait in 199S woikeu on the ielease of political piisoneis anu
to establish iule of law in Azeibaijan. She has focuseu on the establishment of a uialogue between civil
society actois thioughout the South Caucasus. She is a Chevaliei of the National 0iuei of the Fiench
Legion of Bonoui, as a tiibute foi hei longstanuing woik piomoting human iights.
As the Commissionei foi Buman Rights of the Council of Euiope Nils Nuiznieks stateu "this is an
auuitional example showing the extent of intimiuation anu iepiession of ciitical voices in Azeibaijan, a
pioblem which I have iepeateuly highlighteu |.j anu askeu the Azeibaijani authoiities to auuiess."
1

Following hei aiiest, many inteinational voices have expiesseu theii concein, incluuing the Secietaiy
ueneial of the Council of Euiope Thoibjin }aglanu.
2
Fuitheimoie, the iappoiteui of the
Pailiamentaiy Assembly of the Council of Euiope on the iole anu piotection of human iights uefenueis
Nailis Reps uenounceu the aiiest anu uetention of Leyla Yunus anu expiesseu "concein foi the tiue
motivation unueilying the chaiges levieu against hei."
S

We shaie the wiuely expiesseu concein that the aiiest of Leyla Yunus is politically motivateu. We
inueeu believe that hei aiiest is ielateu to hei outspoken ciiticism against the uetention of Rauf
Niikauiiov. Rauf Niikauiiov paiticipateu in numeious joint piojects with the Institute foi Peace anu
Bemociacy anu Aimenian Nu0s. Allegations of tieason against Leyla Yunus aie not only unjustifieu
but also stiange taken into account the Council of Euiope Action Plan foi Azeibaijan 2u14-2u16 in
which it is planneu to host the next Baku Woilu Foium on Inteicultuial Bialogue, a platfoim wheie
"touay's challenges can be uiscusseu in the spiiit of inteicultuial uialogue anu univeisal values."
In }uly 2u14, the bank accounts of, amongst otheis, human iights uefenuei 7#1/$ 8#%#'&9 weie fiozen
as pait of a bioauei investigation into numeious Nu0's. 0n 2S }uly he was iefuseu to leave the countiy.
Following his inteiiogation at the 0ffice of the Piosecutoi ueneial of the Republic of Azeibaijan, Rasul
}afaiov was aiiesteu on 2 August 2u14, anu sentenceu to S months pie-tiial uetention on chaiges of
tax evasion (aiticle 21S of the Ciiminal Coue of the Republic of Azeibaijan), illegal business (aiticle
192) anu abuse of authoiity (aiticle Su8.2). These chaiges aie biought against Rasul }afaiov although
he has been paying gieat attention in iegisteiing all the giants ieceiveu foi the Buman Rights Club anu
has latei joineu the Nu0 Legal Piotection anu Awaieness Society, of which he is the chaiiman.
Rasul }afaiov has been banneu fiom tiavelling abioau anu his passpoit has been confiscateu. Bence his
pie-tiial uetention is unnecessaiy.
Rasul }afaiov is a wiuely iespecteu human iights uefenuei. Aftei woiking with vaiious human iights
Nu0s in Azeibaijan, Rasul }afaiov launcheu the Buman Rights Club. The aim of the gioup is to iaise
awaieness anu ieach out to young people in Azeibaijan. To this enu, Rasul }afaiov along with othei
activists anu human iights uefenueis in Azeibaijan, cooiuinateu the campaign "Sing foi Bemociacy" in
ielation to the Euiovision Song Contest, which was helu in Baku in Nay 2u12. Rasul }afaiov is also the
cooiuinatoi foi the "Ait foi Bemociacy" campaign. The last yeais, he has been active campaigning foi
the ielease of political piisoneis in Azeibaijan anu has togethei with othei human iights uefenueis
calleu upon the Pailiamentaiy Assembly of the Council of Euiope to keep the issue of political
piisoneis high on the agenua.
The chaiges against Rasul }afaiov, as well as those against Leyla Yunus, foim pait of pattein useu to
taiget them foi theii woik as human iights uefenueis. Similai chaiges weie biought against the
Chaiipeison of the Election Nonitoiing anu Bemociacy Stuuies Centie (ENBS) Anai Nammauli anu
the Executive Biiectoi of ENBS Bashii Suleymanli,
4
who weie iespectively sentenceu to S yeais anu 6
months impiisonment anu S yeais anu 6 months. Fuitheimoie, on 14 }uly 2u14, the heau of the uanja-

1
Statement available at https:www.facebook.comBumanRightsBouseNetwoikposts1u1S2uSSSu664u96S.
2
Statement available at http:hub.coe.intenwebcoe-
poitalpiessnewsioom.p_p_iu=newsioom&_newsioom_aiticleIu=198u2S6&_newsioom_gioupIu=1u226&_newsioom_tabs
=newsioom-topnews&pagei.offset=u.
S
Statement available at http:assembly.coe.intnwxmlNewsNews-view-EN.asp.newsiu=S1SS&lang=2&cat=S.
4
0n 26 Nay 2u14 the Couit on uiave Ciimes sentenceu the two Azeibaijan human iights uefenueis Anai Nammauli anu
Bashii Suleymanli to iespectively S yeais anu 6 months impiisonment anu S yeais anu 6 months, infoimation available at
http:humaniightshouse.oigAiticles2u194.html.

3

baseu Intelligent Citizen Enlightenment Centie Basan Buseynli, was sentenceu to 6 yeais in piison. Be
was convicteu on chaiges of aimeu hooliganism anu unlawfully caiiying a colu weapon.
The iight to fieeuom of association is at the heait of the chaiges helu against these human iights
uefenueis. In essence they aie uepiiveu of theii iight to woik in the uefence of human iights. While
iegistiation of Nu0s anu giants to Nu0s has become manuatoiy in Azeibaijan, authoiities continue
ueny iegistiation. The iight to fieeuom of association is at the heait of the chaiges helu against those
human iights uefenueis. While iegistiation of Nu0s anu giants to Nu0s has become manuatoiy in
Azeibaijan, authoiities continue ueny iegistiation. Inuepenuent Nu0s face continuous investigations
anu human iights uefenueis aie being banneu fiom tiavelling abioau, uepenuing on theii willingness
to finu agieements with the goveinment, incluuing agieements on theii piofessional activities anu
theii public statements.
Restiictions to laws affecting the iight to fieeuom of association have been wiuely ciiticiseu since
0ctobei 2u11.
S
Such legislation (" *%+,' ciiminalises human iights uefenueis in Azeibaijan, not foi
theii wiong uoing, but iathei foi the fact that woiking foi an Nu0, which uoes not have the blessing of
the goveinment, has become uifficult in Azeibaijan. 0niteu Nations expeits stateu aheau of the
Piesiuential elections that they "obseiveu since 2u11 a woiiying tienu of legislation which has
naiioweu consiueiably the space in which civil society anu uefenueis opeiate in Azeibaijan."
6
The
oiuei given to the Buman Rights Bouse Azeibaijan in Naich 2u11 to cease all its activities is a
consequence of such policies.
7

A ielateu concein is the lack of an inuepenuent juuiciaiy in Azeibaijan, wheie the outcome of tiials
moie often than not seems pie-ueteimineu. We have obseiveu many tiials in Azeibaijan ovei the last
few yeais anu shaie the finuing of the Inteinational Bai Association that "the juuiciaiy in Azeibaijan
iemains uominateu by the executive bianch. Constitutional guaiantees of juuicial inuepenuence have
not been matcheu by sufficient guaiantees of inuepenuence in teims of juuicial self-goveinance."
8

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Sinceiely,

S
0n 19 0ctobei 2u11, the Euiopean Commission foi Bemociacy thiough Law (venice Commission) issueu its 0pinion
6S62u11 on the compatibility with human iights stanuaius of the legislation on non-goveinmental oiganisations of the
Republic of Azeibaijan, available at http:www.venice.coe.intwebfoimsuocuments.puf=CBL-AB(2u11)uSS-e. The lettei
of membeis anu paitneis of the Buman Rights Bouse Netwoik (BRBN) anu the South Caucasus Netwoik of Buman Rights
Befenueis of S Naich 2u1S calling upon Azeibaijani authoiities to stop fuithei iestiictions to the iight to fieeuom of
association is available at http:humaniightshouse.oigAiticles191u6.html.
6
}oint piess ielease by 0niteu Nations special iappoiteuis on the iights to fieeuom of association anu peaceful assembly,
Naina Kiai, on the situation of human iights uefenueis, Naigaiet Sekaggya, anu on fieeuom of opinion anu expiession, Fiank
La Rue, 4 0ctobei 2u1S, available at
http:www.ohchi.oigENNewsEventsPagesBisplayNews.aspx.NewsIB=1S829&LangIB=E.
7
Noie infoimation on the oiuei given to the Buman Rights Bouse Azeibaijan available at
http:humaniightshouse.oigAiticles2uuS7.html.
8
Inteinational Bai Association's Buman Rights Institute, -."#/%01%23 4#""('5 '* 678#"990'2 '2 :#0%&, Apiil 2u14, page 48,
available at http:www.ibanet.oigAiticleBetail.aspx.Aiticle0iu=e1192b49-6a7c-41uu-a8SS-a17fSfu4bcbb.
9
We pieviously askeu foi the ielease of Anai Nammauli fiom pie-tiial uetention anu also iequesteu that they be immeuiately
anu unconuitionally ieleaseu aftei the couit sentenceu them on 26 Nay 2u14:
http:humaniightshouse.oigAiticles2u194.html.

4

Buman Rights Bouse Azeibaijan (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
Association foi the Piotection of Women's Rights
Azeibaijan Lawyeis Association
Institute foi Repoiteis' Safety anu Fieeuom
Legal Euucation Society
Neuia Rights Institute
Society foi Bumanitaiian Reseaich
Women Association foi Rational Bevelopment
Baiys Zvozskau Belaiusian Buman Rights Bouse in exile, vilnius (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
Belaiusian Association of }ouinalists
Belaiusian Belsinki Committee
City Public Association "Centai Supolnasc"
Buman Rights Centie "viasna"
Buman Rights Bouse Belgiaue (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
Belgiaue Centie foi Buman Rights
Lawyeis Committee foi Buman Rights Y0C0N
Civic Initiatives
Belsinki Committee foi Buman Rights in Seibia
Policy Centie
Buman Rights Bouse Kiev (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
Association of 0kiainian Buman Rights Nonitois on Law-Enfoicement
Buman Rights Infoimation Centie
Centei foi Civil Libeities
0kiainian Belsinki Buman Rights 0nion
0kiainian Legal Aiu Founuation
Buman Rights Bouse Lonuon (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
Aiticle 19
Inuex on Censoiship
Buman Rights Bouse Saiajevo (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
Belsinki Committee foi Buman Rights in Bosnia anu Beizegovina
Buman Rights Bouse Tbilisi (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
Aiticle 42 of the Constitution
ueoigian Centie foi Psychosocial anu Neuical Rehabilitation of Toituie victims
Buman Rights Centie
Buman Rights Bouse 0slo (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
Buman Rights Bouse Founuation
Noiwegian Buima Committee
Noiwegian Belsinki Committee
Buman Rights Bouse voionezh (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
Chaiitable Founuation
Civic Initiatives Bevelopment Centie
Confeueiation of Fiee Laboi
Foi Ecological anu Social }ustice
Fiee 0niveisity
uolos
Inteiiegional Tiaue 0nion of Liteiaiy Nen
Lawyeis foi laboi iights
Nemoiial
Ns. 0lga unezuilova

5

Soluieis Notheis of Russia
voionezh }ouinalist Club
voionezh-Cheinozemie
Youth Buman Rights Novement
Buman Rights Bouse Yeievan (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
Belsinki Citizens' Assembly-vanauzoi
Belsinki Association foi Buman Rights
}ouinalists' Club "Aspaiez"
Public Infoimation anu Neeu of Knowleuge Nu0
Shahkhatun
Women's Resouice Centei
Buman Rights Bouse Zagieb (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
APE00PIN Association foi Piomotion of Equal 0ppoitunities foi People with Bisabilities
B.a.B.e.
CNS - Centie foi Peace Stuuies
Bocumenta - Centie foi Bealing with the Past
u0L}P - Civic Committee foi Buman Rights
Svitanje - Association foi Piotection anu Piomotion of Nental Bealth
The Rafto Bouse in Beigen, Noiway (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
Rafto Founuation, Noiway
The Bouse of the Belsinki Founuation Foi Buman Rights, Polanu (on behalf of the following Nu0s):
Belsinki Founuation foi Buman Rights
Election Nonitoiing anu Bemociacy Stuuies Centei, Azeibaijan
Founuation "Nultiethnic Resouice Centei foi Civic Euucation Bevelopment", ueoigia
People in Neeu, Czech Republic
Public Novement Nultinational, ueoigia
Public Association foi Assistance to Fiee Economy, Azeibaijan
Public 0nion of Bemociacy anu Buman Rights Resouice Centie, Azeibaijan



Copies have been sent to:
Ni Zakii Bakii oglu uaialov, Piosecutoi ueneial of the Republic of Azeibaijan
0ffice of the Commissionei foi Buman Rights of the Council of Euiope
Piivate 0ffice of the Secietaiy ueneial of the Council of Euiope
Belegation of the Council of Euiope in Azeibaijan
0N Special Rappoiteui on human iights uefenueis, Special Rappoiteui on the iights to fieeuom
of association anu peaceful assembly, anu Woiking uioup on Aibitiaiy Betention
0ffice foi Bemociatic Institutions anu Buman Rights of the 0iganisation foi Secuiity anu
Coopeiation in Euiope (0SCE 0BIBR)
Belegation of the Euiopean 0nion in Azeibaijan
Subcommittee on Buman Rights of the Euiopean Pailiament
Biplomatic community in Baku, Biussels, ueneva, New Yoik anu Stiasbouig
vaiious ministiies of foieign affaiis anu pailiamentaiy committees on foieign affaiis


6

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