National Council defends Yunus and condemns Hasangulieva

Session of the National Council of Democratic Forces, which discussed a number of domestic and foreign policy, and organizational character, took place on Saturday.

Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy, Leyla Yunus, made a speech and informed the members of the National Assembly about a political campaign against her, involving law enforcement.

Yunus regarded an investigation against her as a political farce and lawlessness. She believes that the campaign launched against it, the arrest of Rauf Mirkadirov, a columnist of “Zerkalo”   newspaper, on charges of espionage against Armenia are links in one chain, and aims to discredit the free non-governmental organizations and the media.

Human rights activist said that people working with her are pressured and forced to fabricate things. In particular, the prosecution is trying to force Matanat Azizova, the head of the Women's Crisis Center, to make denigrating confessions against Yunus. "Matanat was interrogated for hours, was threatened, and a search took place in her apartment," said Yunus.

She also reported that the same strong pressure is exerted on Rena Safaraliyeva, the manager of the project Transparency-Azerbaijan.

Chairman of the NCDF, Jamil Hasanli said that the National Council will do everything possible to protect Yunus and other civil society activists.

The session was not without curiosity. During the discussion of candidates for new members of the National Council, the chairman of the Classic Popular Front Mirmahmud Fattayev opposed their adoption. Otherwise, he threatened to leave the National Council. The reason for his reaction became the fact that among the candidates were several candidates from rival party of the Popular Front. The chairman of the party, Ali Kerimli, to support unity refused to nominate members of his party to the NCDF. He noted that two days earlier at the Coordinating Council of the National Assembly the decision on nomination of new members was adopted by consensus with participation of Mirmahmud Fattayev.

The case ended with a compromise - nominations of new members were not considered, and the members of Fattayev’s party agreed not to leave the NCDF.

At the meeting special attention was paid to the Russian threat in light of the Ukrainian events. The session participants spoke of the necessity of resistance actions justifying aggression against Ukraine, and the attempts of certain circles in the country to regain their lost influence of Russia in Azerbaijan. PFPA Deputy Chairman, Fuad Ghahramanly called unacceptable  the  appeal by the MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev, close to the Minister of Emergency Situations, Kamaladdin Heydarov,  to restore the Russian military bases in Azerbaijan.

The session also considered the steps of the National Council on the release of arrested activists of NIDA, political prisoners and other issues.