Azerbaijan Institute for Democracy and Human Rights

CE Secretary General called İlham Aliyev

Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland called on Monday to the president İlham Aliyev. By results of the conversation he made a statement: “In a telephone conversation with President Aliyev of Azerbaijan this morning, I expressed my deep concerns about the arrests of prominent human rights defenders in recent days. We agreed that the […]

Nine parties form Committee to Protect the rights of the arrested human righst defenders

Representatives of the opposition forces of Azerbaijan held today at the headquarters of the “Classical” Popular Front (CPFPA) a hearing in connection with the recent arrests of prominent civil society activists. The participants expressed their support for the list of political prisoners compiled by human rights activists and Leyla Yunus Rasul Jafarov. It was noted […]

The Court of Appeals leaves Arif Yunus in custody

Today Baku Appeals Court considered the appeal conflictologist Arif Yunus warrant. Arif Yunus presented when considering complaints, Turan was told by his lawyer Khalid Bagirov. The court dismissed the complaint, leaving Yunus under arrest. On August 7 Yunus was transferred to the detention center of the National Security Ministry. According to the lawyer, no clarification […]

Yunus’s deprivation of diet and medication is dangerous for her condition

The prolonged detention of human rights activist Leyla Yunus, who suffers from an acute form of diabetes, and needs a diet intake and medications, can lead to serious consequences. Such an opinion in an interview with Turan was voiced by Doctor Azad Isazadeh, commenting on the consequences of refusing to accept food and medicines transferred […]

Office of IRFS sealed

On Monday morning, the investigating authorities sealed the office of the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety. The IRFS employees told Turan two prosecutors came to the office and asked to vacate the premises, and then sealed the office. They did not give any explanation or show the sanction or court decision. In fact, the […]

Poland condemns politically motivated arrests of Azerbaijani activists

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland expresses concern over politically motivated arrests of Azerbaijani civil society activists. The statement of the press-service of the Polish MFA reads: “We were especially dismayed by sanctions against the respected lawyer and human rights defender Intigam Aliyev, the civil society activists Leyla and Arif Yunus, […]

“We do believe that PACE will remain in the universe history as the messenger of peace, democracy and welfare” – AIDHR Congratulation letter

Azerbaijani Institute for Democracy and Human Rights sent a letter to Strasburg on the occasion of 65th anniversary of PACE The letter says: “It has already passed 65 years over the establishment of Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. It was on August 10, 1949 that PACE, inter-parliamentary institution held its first meeting. Hardly […]

Dunja Mijatovic: Harassment of media freedom activists in Azerbaijan is intensifying

OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Dunja Mijatović deplored today the intensifying harassment of media freedom activists and organizations, most recently the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety (IRFS) and its Chair Emin Huseynov. According to reports, today unidentified people in plain clothes have been attempting to breach the IRFS office while representatives of […]

General IREX office rejects the lie in the Azerbaijani media

IREX states that Anjela Nikoara, its Country Director for Azerbaijan, has never supported any Armenian individual or organization, has never made any pro-Armenian statements (verbal or written), and has never criticized the president of Azerbaijan or its government. She has worked tirelessly, as a guest of Azerbaijan since 2010, with her dedicated staff, to boost […]

Law enforcement authorities paralyzed IRFS

After a six-hour search in the office of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety (IRFS) August 8, law enforcement officials seized all electronic media, surveying equipment, financial documents and materials relating to the human rights organization. Thus, the activity of the IRFS is virtually paralyzed. The search that started at 16.00 ended at 22.00. […]

The court arrests Intigam Aliyev for three months

In the evening on August 8 the Nasimi district court arrested the head of the Legal Enlightenment Society, Intigam Aliyev, for three months. Aliyev is accused under the Articles: 213.1 (evasion of taxes or contributions for compulsory social insurance in significant amount) , 308.2 (abuse of power) , and 192.2 (illegal business), Turan was told […]

List of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, compiled by 12 organizations and lawyers is published

Researcher of “Azadlig” radio, Khadija Ismailova, published a list of political prisoners that had been prepared recently by the working group of 12 lawyers and NGOs. The list includes also the arrested members of the Working Group: Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy Leyla Yunus, a political scientist Arif Yunus, head of the […]

Office and apartment of human rights defender Intigam Aliyev searched (video)

August 8, prosecutors began to search the apartment of the human rights defender Intigam Aliyev and the office of the Legal Education Society he is the head of. Previously, he was summoned to the Investigation Department for Serious Crimes of the Prosecutor General’s Office as a witness. Turan was told by the head of the […]

Office of the Institute for Reporters’ Freedom and Safety is blocked

At 14:30 pm several police officers and persons in the civilian came to the office of the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety, located at R.Beybutov, 85/86. They demanded to open the door, without explaining who they are and what they want. The employees of the IRFS refused to do it, and now they are […]

The Court of Appeals keeps Rasul Jafarov in custody

The Baku Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal by human rights activist Rasul Jafarov of his arrest, his lawyer Fariz Namazly told Turan. According to him, Jafarov again said he did not consider himself guilty. Defense intends to submit an application for the replacement of actual arrest by house arrest. Jafarov was arrested Aug. 2 […]

Alliance “Azerbaijan without political prisoners’ demands release of human rights defenders

The Public Alliance “Azerbaijan without political prisoners” demands the immediate release of all political prisoners and an end to repression against human rights defenders and activists. This is stated in a statement of the Alliance. The statement noted that the Alliance believes the existence of direct political power orders in the arrest of prominent human […]

Deputy Chairman of Terter organization “Musavat” is arrested

The deputy chairman of the regional organization of the party “Musavat” in Terter region , 60-year-old lawyer Khagani Mammadov, was arrested on charges of hooliganism, in connection with the incident on July 23, Turan was told by the lawyer of the party “Musavat”, Elman Fattah. On that day Mammadov came to his office, where he […]

Ali Hasanov: West should not give order us

In an interview with Azertaj agency he called “biased and non-objective” statement by the High Representative for Foreign Policy, Catherine Ashton, and EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Affairs, Stefan Fule, who condemned the arrests of human rights defenders Rasul Jafarov, Leyla Yunus, and her husband Arif Yunus, and the persecution of civil society. Hasanov […]

The Red Cross does not provide information about the Yunus spouses

The head of the National Council, Jamil Hasanli, visited the Red Cross office in Baku, and asked the organization to visit the arrested human rights activist Leyla Yunus, who suffers from severe diabetes and is deprived of the opportunity to receive proper treatment and medication. Turan agency addressed to the office of the Red Cross […]

Azerbaijan does not comply with EU guidelines on Human Rights Defenders

The Ukrainian Center for Civil Liberties, with the support of the European Commission will visit Azerbaijan to monitor the situation with NGOs. We are talking about the pressure on the civilian sector, which began after the introduction of restrictive amendments in Azerbaijan’s legislation, which opened the way for the suppression of NGOs and paralysis of […]

French Foreign Ministry about the arrest of Arif Yunus

France deplores the arrest of a known conflict expert Arif Yunus, the spouse of the human rights activist Leyla Yunus, the Foreign Ministry press service of France stated. The statement released to Turan from the French Embassy in Baku also notes that France has always been committed to human rights and respects them. * Arif […]

Statement by Catherine Ashton and Štefan Füle on the arrest of Rasul Jafarov in Azerbaijan

Spoke persons of EU commissioners Catherine Ashton and Stefan Fule have made on August 6 the next statement on situation with the civil society of Azerbaijan. “We note with dismay that another prominent human rights defender, Rasul Jafarov, has been arrested in Azerbaijan. The charges against Mr Jafarov relate to his work for the Human […]

Court of Appeal upholds Leyla Yunus in custody

Today Baku Court of Appeal rejected a motion to change the measure of restraint against the director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, Leyla Yunus. According to Turan lawyer, Javad Javadov, the court upheld the trial court’s decision, which arrested her for three months. Leyla Yunus accused under several Articles of the Criminal Code: […]

European Commissioner concerned with the arrest of Rasul Jafarov

The EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighborhood Affairs Stefan Fule expressed concern over the arrest of the human rights activist Rasul Jafarov in Azerbaijan. The statement recalled that Jafarov was taken into custody after the famous human rights activist Leyla Yunus. “The arrest of Jafarov creates the impression of purposeful restrictions of civil society in […]

Jamil Hasanli urged the Red Cross to support spouses Yunus

The Chairman of the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) Jamil Hasanli visited the Baku office of the International Committee of the Red Cross. As a member of the Committee to Protect the Rights of Arrested Leyla and Arif Yunus, he asked the ICRC to take control of the health status of spouses Yunus suffering […]