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Prominent Azerbaijani Human Rights Defenders Allowed To Leave

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FB3160B9-2032-470D-B11C-6526493CBE94_w640_r1_s_cx0_cy10_cw0By RFE/RL’s Azerbaijani Service

April 19, 2016

Two of Azerbaijan’s most prominent human rights defenders, who supporters say have been persecuted and jailed at home for their activist work, have arrived in the Netherlands after the authorities in Baku granted them permission to leave.

Leyla Yunus and her husband, Arif, were greeted by their daughter, Dinara Yunus, who lives in the Netherlands, upon landing at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on April 19, according to Dutch media reports.

Welcoming the two, Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said Leyla and Arif Yunus, who are seeking asylum in the Netherlands, “had put their own safety and happiness at stake in the struggle for democracy and human rights,” according to local reports.

No further details were immediately available.

Leyla Yunus and Arif Yunus were sentenced to 8 1/2 and 7 years in prison, respectively, in August 2015 for “fraud” and other purported crimes related to their NGO work.

Supporters said the charged were trumped up. Amnesty International recognized the couple as prisoners of conscience.

International rights groups, the United States, and the European Union routinely criticize Azerbaijan’s poor record on human rights and freedom of speech under President Ilham Aliyev, who critics say has cracked down on independent media since succeeding his long-ruling father in 2003.

The decision by authorities in Azerbaijan to let them travel comes as something of a surprise.

Last month, an appeals court in Baku ruled the two could not travel to Europe because of their suspended prison terms.

Toward the end of 2015, the Yunuses were released from jail and their sentences were suspended due to their poor health.

Leyla Yunus, 59, suffers from a number of ailments including diabetes and hepatitis C.

She had complained of being beaten several times by prison guards since being detained in July 2014.

She appeared frail as she left the courtroom on December 9, walking with difficulty and leaning on her husband.

Arif Yunus was released in November, also on health grounds.

The prosecution of Leyla and Arif Yunus has been condemned by the international community as part of a deepening crackdown on dissent in Azerbaijan.

Numerous other activists, journalists, and government critics — including investigative journalist and RFE/RL contributor Khadija Ismayilova — remain imprisoned in Azerbaijan on charges that Western officials and international rights groups have called politically motivated.

Baku has repeatedly rejected the accusations, insisting that the cases in question are strictly criminal in nature.

The Yunuses, who had worked for the unregistered Peace and Democracy Institute in Baku, were still facing treason charges in a separate case stemming from allegations of spying for Baku’s archrival, Armenia.

Karabakh soldier killed in Azerbaijani fire

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210579On Tuesday, April 19, at around 9:50am, a Karabakh serviceman, Gavorg Gevorgyan (b. 1996) was killed in Azerbaijani fire.

An investigation into the details of the incident is underway, the Nagorno Karabakh Defense Ministry said.

On the night of April 1-2, Azerbaijani armed forces initiated overt offensive operations in the southern, southeastern and northeastern directions of the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh.

The Armenian side has suffered 77 combat and 15 non-combat losses, 122 more were wounded. One soldier is still missing.

The Azerbaijani side has lost 26 tanks and 4 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as 1 BM-21 Grad multipl e rocket launcher, 1 engineering vehicle, 2 military helicopters and 14 unmanned aerial vehicles. The Azerbaijani side has admitted the loss of 31 fighters, 1 helicopter and 1 unmanned drone, whereas the Armenian side’s photo and video materials show dozens of killed Azerbaijani troops, 1 helicopter and 3 UAVs. Opposition media outlets, however, reported on the death of 95 Azerbaijani soldiers, stating that 39 more have been wounded. According to Karabakh authorities, 300 Azerbaijani soldiers were killed in clashes.

14 Karabakh tanks have been neutralized since April 2.

The parties to the Karabakh conflict agreed on a bilateral cessation of fire along the contact line which came into force at midday, April 5.

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan

The conflict between Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan broke out as result of the ethnic cleansing launched by the Azeri authorities in the final years of the Soviet Union. The Karabakh War was fought from 1991 (when the Nagorno Karabakh Republic was proclaimed) to 1994 (when a ceasefire was sealed by Armenia, NKR and Azerbaijan). Most of Nagorno Karabakh and a security zone consisting of 7 regions are now under control of NKR defense army. Armenia and Azerbaijan are holding peace talks mediated by the OSCE Minsk Group up till now.

Armenia Deputy Defense Minister briefs ICRC on crimes committed by Azerbaijani Armed Forces

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10208 (1)YEREVAN. – All the 18 bodies of the Armenian soldiers transferred by Azerbaijan Sunday were subjected to mockery and derision.

First Deputy Defense Minister of Armenia Davit Tonoyan said the aforementioned at the meeting with the Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Delegation in Yerevan Caroline Douilliez.

According to Tonoyan, this is not only a violation of the Geneva Convention of 1949 and its Additional Protocol of 1949, but also a grave crime from the point of view of the criminal legislation of any legal state.

He also noted that the Armenian side will do its best so that the international community and specialist organizations condemn the crimes committed by the Azerbaijani Armed Forces.

France: A protest action demanding to stop the Turkish- Azerbaijani aggression is held in Marseille, headed by Vice Mayor Valerie Boyer

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sks.thumbFrench MP, Vice-Mayor of Marseilles Valerie Boyer again expressed her support to Karabakh, urging to stop the Turkish-Azerbaijani aggression against Armenia and Karabakh.

Beginning with April 2, when the military actions began, French MP expresses her support to the Armenian people and is trying to attract the attention of the international community to the aggression of Azerbaijan.
A few days ago Valerie Boyer posted on her pages on Twitter and Facebook: “We support our Armenian friends from Nagorno-Karabakh, attacked by Azerbaijan. Christians are attacked again. We express our support for the people of Nagorno Karabakh.”

Later, she made an appeal to the international community on the recognition of independence of Nagorno Karabakh.

Today in the evening, headed by Valerie Boyer a protest action near the building of the City Hall of Marseille will take place. This was reported by the MP on her Facebook page.

 

Karabakh Update: Azerbaijani military aggression against Karabakh

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Karabakh 100Numerous incidents of breach of agreement on ceasing fire were recorded at night, at the zone of contact between the Karabakh-Azerbaijani opposing forces. The Nagorno-Karabakh Republic  Defense Army reported that aside from using rifle weaponry and mortars, the adversary also launched two reconnaissance-sabotage attempts.

Vanguard units of the NKR Defense Army, however, detected, in timely fashion, this attempt at advance by the Azerbaijani special units, and they pushed them back to their original positions.

The photographs below are of the corpses of the Azerbaijani military gang that had committed crimes against Armenian civilians.

Karabakh army serviceman Armen Gasparyan (born in 1974) was killed on Wednesday in ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side.

The contract serviceman was killed from a mine thrower in north-eastern direction, Karabakh Defense Army army said in a statement.

As a result of the close battle, the adversary was pushed back leaving behind the corpse of Azerbaijani Armed Forces captain, Naftalan town resident Vaqif Bayramov, who was born in 1979.

Before that a Karabakh army serviceman Armen Gasparyan (born in 1974) was killed on Wednesday in ceasefire violation by the Azerbaijani side. The serviceman was killed from a mine thrower in north-eastern direction, Karabakh Defense Army army said in a statement.

On Wednesday between 10:35am and around 11pm, the Azerbaijani army divisions intensively fired shots toward the Armenian armed forces’ divisions and the settlements located nearby Vardenis town in Gegharkunik Province of Armenia.

In particular, aside from a variety of rifle weaponry, the adversary fired several hundred bullets also from large-caliber machine guns, and from mortars.

The Armenian armed forces, however, did everything not to breach the agreement on ceasing fire and advance of troops.

News-NEWS.am reporter visited Talish village, in Martakert Region of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, which was hit the hardest by the Azerbaijani bombardment. There are destroyed houses and dead animals everywhere in Talish. The villagers have left their homes for the time being, but they plan to return. Close to 30 percent of the houses in Talish village have sustained damages while the administrative buildings—even more.

Karabakh Update: Azerbaijani soldiers behead Ezidi soldier from Armenia Army

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Ezidi soldier of the Armenian army Karam Sloyan, who was beheaded by Azerbaijani forces

Turkish beheadin Barbarism Ezidi soldier of the Armenian army Karam Sloyan, who was beheaded by Azerbaijani forces

Karabakh – Clashes have erupted again in Nagorno-Karabakh, where a recent flare-up of violence between Azerbaijani and Armenian forces has left dozens of people dead. One Ezidi soldier fighting in the ranks of the Armenian army is among the casualties.

On April 1 and 2, the Azerbaijani military started to launch attacks on Armenian positions, resulting in casualties on both sides. The 20-year-old Ezidi soldier Karam Sloyan from Armenia who was among the casualties was apparently beheaded. Pictures of Azerbaijani soldiers posing with Sloyan´s decapitated head surfaced on VKontakte, a popular social network in Eastern Europe.

Soon after, an ISIS-like video emerged on the internet, showing Azerbaijanis holding the severed head of Sloyan like a trophy fish.

Sloyan was from the town of Ashtarak in Aragatsotn Province where many of Armenia´s Ezidis live. Similar clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan erupted in December 2015, resulting in the death of Sidar Aloyan, another Ezidi who fought for Armenia.

Turkey has in the meantime pledged its support to the Muslim-dominated Azerbaijan against Armenia.

Source: ezidipress.com

Azerbaijani Soldiers Execute Elderly Armenian Couple in Artsakh; The Cut Off Their Ears

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NKR-war_talishWar is ugly, this is a given! Nevertheless, Hetq wishes to apologize to its readers for publishing the disturbing photos from the village of Talish in the northeastern Martakert District of Artsakh.

Today, Hetq photographer Hakob Poghosyan was in Talish that was temporarily overrun by Azerbaijani military units. The village is a few kilometers inside the Artsakh border with Azerbaijan. Only a few residents were in Talish when Azerbaijani soldiers entered.

They shot Valera Khalapyan and his wife Razmela to death in their home and then cut off their ears. Azerbaijani soldiers also executed Marousya Khalapyan, born 1924.

For the past two days, Azerbaijan has launched a major military offensive up and down the Line of Contact. 

Photos: Hakob Poghosyan

Source: hetq.am

Azerbaijani army suffered over 200 losses Apr 1-2: #Karabakh

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209477The situation is extremely tense on the entire line of contact between the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and Azerbaijan. Karabakh troops continue successfully conducting defensive battles.

According to the Karabakh Defense Army reports, at least 30 Azeri special forces soldiers were killed in Talish direction alone, two tanks and two unmanned drones were destroyed in Martakert direction, and a helicopter was downed in the northern direction of the contact line.

Battles are especially fierce in the southeastern direction. Using armored equipment, including BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher, Azeris targeted not only Karabakh defense positions, but also civilian settlements, situated quite deep behind the frontline. Here, at around 12.30 pm, the Karabakh air defense units destroyed one Azerbaijani military helicopter and two more tanks.

The Nagorno Karabakh Defense Army estimates suggest that the Azerbaijani armed forces suffered more than 200 human losses on April 1-2.

On the night of April 1-2, Azerbaijani armed forces initiated overt offensive operations in the southern, southeastern and northeastern directions of the line of contact with Nagorno Karabakh, using artillery, armored fighting vehicles and air force equipment among other weapons.

Aside from the battles on the frontline, the rival has also carried out artillery strikes on civilian settlements and places of permanent deployment of several military units.

On April 2, at around 8:30 am, the rival used BM-21 Grad multiple rocket launcher in the Martuni direction of the contact line. 12-year-old Vaghinak Grigoryan was killed in the shelling, two more children were wounded.

Earleir, the Nagorno Karabakh special forces identified an Azerbaijani subversive group near the Levonarkh settlement and threw the saboterus back to their positions.

According to Armenia’s Defense Ministry, the rival troops retreated after suffering several human losses.

Armenia curbs Azerbaijani aggression along frontline – Defense Ministry spokesperson

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f56f8fb81634ca_56f8fb8163501.thumbThe situation along Armenia’s eastern border and the Line of Contact around Nagorno-Karabakh has been tense over the recent period, a spokesperson of Armenia’s Ministry of Defense has said, commenting on the past days’ frontline skirmishes.
Speaking to Tert.am, Artsrun Hovhannisyan noted that the adversary launched active armed raids especially in the direction of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia’s north-eastern region of Tavush. “Azerbaijan’s activity was expected, as we had earlier announced,” he told our correspondent.
As for the international calls for maintaining the ceasefire, Hovhannosyan said that Azerbaijan disrespected them all. “The reaction to the adversary lasted long enough to curb the [aggression],” he added.
Asked about additional efforts to restrain Azerbaijan, the spokesperson said he doesn’t see any need to take more action. In his words, the international organizations’ calls are effective.

Well-known Azerbaijani journalist Rauf Mirkadirov sentenced to 6 years in prison

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Azerbaijani journalist Rauf Mirkadirov

Azerbaijani journalist Rauf Mirkadirov

Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced Rauf Mirkadyrov, a well-known Azerbaijani journalist and contributor of the newspaper Zerkalo (Mirror), to 6 years in a colony of strict regime, Azerbaijani news agency Trend reports.

According to the report, the public prosecutor earlier demanded 7 years’ imprisonment for Mirkadirov. However, during the last hearing, the prosecutor asked the court to hand down a milder punishment to the journalist in accordance with the Article 62 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, which offers a milder punishment for that concrete crime. The investigation was conducted by the Ministry of National Security.

Minval.az reports that Mirkadirov was charged under the Article 274 (high treason) of the Criminal Code. He is accused of taking part in the joint projects of the Institute for Peace of Democracy with the civil society groups of Armenia, and providing information supposed to be state secret during those events. The journalist denies the charge. Rights defenders consider him a political prisoner.

According to the website, the journalist’s deportation from Turkey to Azerbaijan, where he was immediately arrested on charges of espionage, drove the observers to maintain that Ankara and Baku might have been agreed on silencing their political opponents. When the Turkish Prime Minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, visited Baku in March, the Turkish media reported about a dossier allegedly handed to the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev which included the names of the Turkish citizens residing in Azerbaijan, who were to be arrested. Those reports were about the supporters of the Turkish preacher Fethullah Gulen, who lives in the US. The Turkish authorities struggle against him both inside their country and abroad.

Rauf Mirkadyrov worked as a correspondent of the newspaper Zerkalo in Turkey. The Turkish authorities unexpectedly said he was deprived of the permission to work and had to leave the country immediately. According to the journalist, his pen fell ‘victim to a deal between Turkey and Azerbaijan.’

Minval.az further notes that Mirkadirov is not the only Azerbaijani journalist to be deported from Turkey. Mahir Zeynalov, well-known contributor for the Today’s Zaman daily, which is connected to Fethullah Gullen, was deported to Azerbaijan for unknown reasons in February.

Turan agency reports that the international community regards Mirkadirov as a prisoner of conscience as the real reason for his arrest was the authorities’ intention to convince the public of the spying and wrecking activities of Leyla Yunus, the rights defender, in whose projects Mirkadirov took part. According to the accusation, it were Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif who ‘recruited’ Rauf Mirkadirov as an Armenian spy. The charge of state treason against the couple was sent to separate proceedings, and they were sentenced on economic accusations. Consequently, their punishment was changed to conditional.

According to Report agency, Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on pardoning a number of sentenced individuals. Azay Guliyev, an MP from the commission on pardoning, said the decree was signed taking into account the appeals for pardoning addressed to the president by a number of sentenced people and their family members, authorised human rights representatives and organisations, as well as the individuals themselves, their health, family situation, their behaviour while serving the prison term, basing on the principles of humanism, in accordance with the 22nd item of the Article 109 of the Constitution of the Azerbaijani Republic. The pardoning list includes 210 people.
Meanwhile, Haqqin.az writes that the list of the convicts, pardoned by the presidential decree, included none of the political prisoners, on whose release the US Department of State, Council of Europe and other international groups insist.

On 23 December, a working group for compiling a comprehensive list of political prisoners issued a consecutive list of the Azerbaijani citizens regarded as political prisoners in the country. The list had 93 names, including well-known rights defenders, journalists, bloggers, political activists, religious leaders and others.

 

Source Panorama.am