Azerbaijani Activists Arrested, Charged With Treason
July 31 (WMD).─ Prominent Azerbaijani human rights activist and World Movement participant, Leyla Yunus, and her husband, Arif Yunus, were both arrested on Wednesday, July 30, and face charges of treason. Arif Yunus was released soon after his arrest to await trial at home for health reasons. The World Movement for Democracy calls on the government of Azerbaijan to release Leyla Yunus immediately, drop the politically motivated charges against her and her husband, and end the harassment and persecution of human rights defenders in Azerbaijan.
Leyla Yunus is the director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, a human rights organization that seeks to advance reconciliation between Armenians and Azerbaijanis, and promote the rule of law in Azerbaijan. She was named a Chevalier of the French National Legion of Honor as a tribute to her tireless work promoting human rights. Arif Yunus is a historian who has authored eight books and more than 230 articles on the contemporary history of the Caucasus.
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