Silence in the face of injustice is complicity with the opressor." -- Ginetta Sagan
"Overcoming
poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is
the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a
decent life . . ." -- Nelson Mandela
"I
believe in the equality of man; and I believe that religious duties
consist in doing justice, loving mercy, and endeavoring to make our
fellow-creatures happy.' -- Thomas Paine
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
4th Update UA 182/14
11 November 2014
URGENT ACTION
EUR 55/021/2014
LEYLA YUNUS DENIED LAWYERS
OF HER CHOICE
AZERBAIJAN
Leyla Yunus (f), Arif Yunus (m), Javad
Javadov (m), Khalid Bagirov (m), Alayif Huseynov (m)
Two main lawyers representing Azerbaijani
human rights defender and prisoner of conscience Leyla Yunus have been
removed from her case, while the third lawyer is facing criminal charges
of libel apparently in retaliation for representing her.
On 29 October Javad Javadov, a lawyer
who has been representing Leyla Yunus since her arrest on 30 July was removed
from the case, shortly after he highlighted the procedural shortcomings
and other fair trial violations in the ongoing judicial process. On 5 November
Khalid Bagirov, the second main lawyer representing Leyla Yunus, was also
banned from defending her. Both lawyers, despite having only professional
involvement in the case, were summoned as witnesses by the prosecutor,
following which they were refused access to Leyla Yunus and were informed
that they were removed from the case because of a purported conflict of
interest. They were not given any official explanation of this decision.
Another lawyer who was acting for Leyla Yunus, Alayif Huseynov, has been
charged with criminal libel by her former cellmate after he publicized
allegations she had made about being threatened and ill-treated in prison
during her detention.
The removal of the two principal lawyers
who have been representing Leyla Yunus since her arrest, as well as criminal
charges brought against a third lawyer who spoke out on her behalf, amount
to a violation of her right to be represented by a lawyer of her choice,
which is an essential element of the right to fair trial. Amnesty International
has previously documented cases in Azerbaijan where lawyers have been threatened,
disbarred and pursued with politically-motivated disciplinary and criminal
sanctions for representing opposition leaders and government critics.
Leyla Yunus was arrested on 30 July on
trumped-up charges of treason and other crimes. Her husband Arif Yunus
was arrested on 5 August on similar charges. Amnesty International considers
that Leyla and Artif Yunis are both prisoners of conscience.
Please write immediately in Azeri,
English, Russian or your own language:
* Calling on the authorities to release
Leyla Yunus and Arif Yunus, immediately and unconditionally;
* Expressing concern that Leyla Yunus
has been denied the right to be defended by lawyers of her choice, which
is an essential element of the right to fair trial;
* Insisting on full respect for, and
protection of, the right to freedom of expression in Azerbaijan.
PLEASE SEND APPEALS BEFORE 23 DECEMBER
2014 TO: (Time difference = GMT + 5 hrs / BST + 4 hrs)
President
Ilham Aliyev
Office of the President of Azerbaijan
19 Istiqlaliyyat Street
Baku AZ1066, Azerbaijan
Fax: + 994 12 492 0625
Email: office@pa.gov.az
Salutation: Dear President Aliyev
| Prosecutor General
Zakir Qaralov
Office of the Prosecutor General
7 Rafibeyli Street
Baku AZ1001, Azerbaijan
Email: info@prosecutor.gov.az
Salutation: Dear Prosecutor General
|
|
PLEASE SEND COPIES OF YOUR APPEAL
TO
His Excellency Mr Fakhraddin Gurbanov,
Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan, 4 Kensington Court, London, W8 5DL
Fax: 020 7937 1783 Tel: 020 7938 3412 Email: london@mission.mfa.gov.az
Web: www.azembassy.org.uk
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Leyla Yunus is the President of the Azerbaijani
NGO, the Institute for Peace and Democracy. She was arrested on 30 July
2014 on the charges of treason (purportedly spying for Armenia), tax evasion,
forgery, fraud, and illegal business in relation to a grant received by
her NGO which she had been prevented by the authorities from registering.
Her husband, Arif Yunus, was arrested on 5 August. Arif Yunus is also facing
criminal charges of treason, tax evasion and fraud in connection with his
involvement in the activities of the Institute for Peace and Democracy.
On 23 September, Leyla Yunus was nominated
for the prestigious Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought.
Amnesty International has longstanding
concerns about the Azerbaijani authorities' failure to respect their international
obligations to protect the rights to freedoms of expression, association
and assembly. Dissenting voices in the country frequently face trumped-up
criminal charges, physical assault, harassment, blackmail and other reprisals
from the authorities and groups associated with them. Law-enforcement officials
regularly use torture and other ill-treatment against detained civil society
activists, with impunity.
Azerbaijan currently chairs the Committee
of Ministers, the main decision-making body of the Council of Europe, an
organization considered the guardian of human rights in Europe.
Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, will
host the inaugural European Games in June 2015. The 2015 European Games
will be the first major multi-sport event for Europe and will involve around
6,000 European athletes. Shortly before her arrest, on 25 July, Leyla Yunus
organized a press conference at which she called for an international boycott
of the European Games because of Azerbaijan’s dire human rights record.
PLEASE CHECK WITH THE INDIVIDUALS
AT RISK PROGRAMME AT AIUK BEFORE SENDING APPEALS AFTER 23 DECEMBER 2014
Individuals at Risk Programme, Amnesty
International UK, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London EC2A 3EA, 0207 033 1572, iar@amnesty.org.uk.
To download your copy of the Urgent
Action Participation Guide that will tell you everything you need to know
about the Network click here.
To see latest updates, blogs and our quarterly news round up on Urgent
Actions please visit our Urgent Action blog here.
Individuals At Risk Programme
Tel: 020 7033 1572
Fax: 020 7033 1503
Email: iar@amnesty.org.uk
Website: www.amnesty.org.uk/cases
Amnesty International UK
Human Rights Action Centre
17-25 New Inn Yard
London
EC2A 3EA
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