Chair of OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions
Azerbaijan in ‘anti-democratic free fall,’ says OSCE PA’s Santos following Yunus verdict
COPENHAGEN, 13 August 2015 – The Chair of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions, Isabel Santos (MP, Portugal), today condemned the sentencing of Azerbaijani rights activist Leyla Yunus and her husband, Arif, to lengthy prison terms and called on authorities to urgently begin respecting their OSCE commitments in the spheres of human rights and civil liberties.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of today’s politically motivated court decision to lock away one of Azerbaijan’s most prominent and courageous human rights defenders, Leyla Yunus, and her husband, Arif. The Azerbaijani authorities apparently know no shame in violating the basic OSCE standards that should have protected the Yunuses, such as respect for human rights, freedom of speech and rule of law. The anti-democratic free fall continues in Baku, and I urge the government to immediately reverse this trend,” Santos said.
Santos also noted that both Leyla and Arif Yunus are suffering from serious health conditions.
“The Azerbaijani government, however, has an opportunity to make a powerful statement of a positive nature by releasing the Yunuses on humanitarian grounds. I appeal to the authorities to consider such a decision,” she said.
Chairperson Santos also reiterated her request to the Azerbaijani authorities to visit Leyla Yunus and other detained rights defenders and journalists in the country. She expressed her continued openness to direct engagement with the authorities on these cases.
European Union External Action Service
Statement by High Representative/Vice-President Federica Mogherini on the sentencing of Leyla and Arif Yunus, prominent Human Rights Defenders in Azerbaijan
14/08/2015
On 13 August, human rights defenders Dr Leyla Yunus and Mr Arif Yunus were sentenced by the Baku Court for Grave Crimes to 8.5 and 7 years imprisonment respectively, on charges including fraud.
The legal process leading to these convictions was, as reported by the international monitors observing the trials, seriously flawed. The charges moreover seem to be connected solely to their human rights work. The sentencing confirms the negative trend when it comes to Azerbaijan’s respect for its international commitments on human rights and fundamental freedoms.
We call on Azerbaijan to release Leyla and Arif Yunus, while their cases need to be reviewed in a transparent and fair process.
Council of Europe
Azerbaijan: Council of Europe protests Leyla and Arif Yunus jail terms
Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, Parliamentary Assembly President Anne Brasseur and Commissioner for Human Rights Nils Muižnieks, have reacted strongly to the jailing of Azerbaijan activists Leyla and Arif Yunus.
According to reports, Leyla Yunus received an eight-and-a-half year jail sentence for fraud and tax evasion. Her husband, Arif Yunus, was sentenced to seven years imprisonment on similar charges.
The Spokesperson of Secretary General Jagland confirmed that a request is to be made to the Azerbaijani authorities for the full details of the court judgment and the evidence presented against the defendants.
A statement published today reads: “In view of the known systemic deficiencies in the Azerbaijani judicial system and the worrying trend of increasing cases against human rights defenders and journalists, which in turn has a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the country, he (Jagland) is of the opinion that the conviction will eventually have to be examined by the European Court of Human Rights.
Anne Brasseur, President of the Parliamentary Assembly, revealed that she was “shocked and outraged” by the legal action against Leyla and Arif Yunus.
“The Council of Europe has repeatedly urged the authorities to stop the unprecedented crackdown on civil society – including reprisals and judicial harassment of human rights defenders and independent media – and address human rights problems in the country.
“Despite these appeals, the situation has not improved. It has worsened. The people targeted, the type of charges, the length of sentences, obvious shortcomings in trials, all put in question the authorities’ willingness to respect the fundamental values of the Council of Europe. Today’s decision is further proof of serious and systemic human rights problems in Azerbaijan.
“In its June 2015 resolution on Azerbaijan, the assembly called the authorities to ‘put an end to systemic repression of human rights defenders, the media and those critical of the government’, to ‘release all political prisoners’ and to ‘stop the reprisal of journalists and others who express critical opinions.’
“Today’s decision shows that these appeals have fallen on deaf ears in Baku. Therefore, I once again urge the authorities to take a step back and re-examine their approach to human rights, in line with the commitments they have made to the values and standards of the Council of Europe.”
Human rights commissioner Nils Muižnieks, echoed similar views.
“I am appalled and saddened by Baku Court’s decision to sentence Leyla and Arif Yunus to respectively 8 years and a half and 7 years of prison,” Muižnieks wrote on his Facebook page.
“These sentences are a glaring illustration of the ongoing repression in Azerbaijan, where human rights defenders are selectively targeted with criminal prosecutions on charges that defy credibility.
“In my intervention before the European Court of Human Rights last April (http://bit.ly/1Mmbvud) I argued why Leyla and Arif, as well as other Azerbaijani human rights defenders should not be in prison.
“It is high time that the Azerbaijani authorities end the repression and show more attachment to the values of human rights, democracy and rule of law that they have committed to by joining the Council of Europe.”