MNS and prosecutors believe Leila Yunus Armenian resident

General Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan issued another “masterpiece” which "exposes" espionage activities of the human rights activist Leyla Yunus.

These agencies try to present long and well-known facts as conspiratorial activities of enemies of Azerbaijan. Thus, the statement says the Institute of Peace and Democracy led by Leyla Yunus cooperated with the Armenian NGO called Research Centre Region.

Under the guise of national diplomacy and projects funded by foreign donors, in fact they carried out espionage activities, prosecutors and MNS say. In particular, in 2004-2005 from bank accounts of NGOs in Yerevan to the personal accounts of Yunus’s husband Arif Yunusov funds were transferred to Baku. "In exchange, he had material incentives to recruit people to work for foreign intelligence." As one of these agents recruited for money, MNS and the Prosecution called the journalist Rauf Mirkadirov, who repeatedly visited Armenia via Georgia.

During these visits, Mirkadirov and Yunusov held meetings with the former Minister of National Security of Armenia David Shahnazaryan and others.

In addition, Leyla Yunus and her husband introduced a number of Azerbaijani citizens (names not disclosed) to the special services of Armenia in order to collect information about the socio-political situation in Azerbaijan, military supplies, and energy. They also gave instructions to promote the idea that in exchange for the liberation of the occupied areas the separatist regime in Nagorno-Karabakh would be recognized.

As a result of this "job", Rauf Mirkadirov collected and handed Armenians schemes and photos of strategic facilities, the statement says.

Next MNS and prosecutors reported the "illegal" activities of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, which had no state registration. It is alleged that Yunus since 1996 presented banks a 'false' document that she was the director of IPD. She fraudulently managed to get a checkbook, and in subsequent years (2006-2014) to translate large sums from foreign donors (NED, Marshall Fund) to the bank account.

These "illegally" transferred funds were cashed. The statement calls violation of the law "grants not registered at state agencies." At the same time, the state budget suffered general damages in the amount of 369,000 manat in unpaid taxes.

Based on this information, as well as the avoidance of Leyla Yunus from the investigation, the court ruled her arrest. -16D-