Press release: Concerns over the deterioration of the health of Leyla Yunus, Arif Yunusov and Anar Mammadli while in arbitrary detention

The Observatory has been informed aboutthe serious health condition of Ms. Leyla Yunus, Director of theInstitute for Peace and Democracy (IPD) and a member of OMCT General Assembly,whose pre-trial detention was extended until February 28, 2015. The healthstatus of Mr. Arif Yunusov, husband of Ms. Yunus and Head of theConflictology Department of IPD, also in pre-trial detention, and that of Mr. AnarMammadli, Chairperson of the Election Monitoring and Democracy StudiesCentre (EMDSC), sentenced in May 2014 by the Court on Grave Crimes to 5,5years’ imprisonment, is also preoccupying.

According to the information received, Ms.Leyla Yunus is suffering from a medical condition known as hepatomegaly - aliver enlargement and deterioration. She was examined in December 2014 by aGerman doctor, Christian Witt, whose official results have not been madepublic. Ms. Yunus' lawyer, who visited her on February 8, reported that she waspreoccupied over the lack of information about the doctor's diagnosis, that shewas suffering from sight problems, and that she was continuing to lose weight.Ms. Yunus, who was previously denied access to medication by the prisonauthorities, has lost 16 kilograms since her arrest. She also suffers fromsevere diabetes and is being denied special parcels of food[1].

According to the same information, Mr.Arif Yunusov is also facing poor health conditions, as he is currently on drugsagainst insomnia, and suffers from high blood pressure. The Observatory recallsthat there is very little information available regarding the situation of Mr.Arif Yunusov since he is being held at the Investigative Prisonof the Ministry of National Security, the only remaining prison in Azerbaijanwhich is not subordinated to the Ministry of Justice. This situation puts himat a high risk of facing torture and ill treatment and the absence of a propermedical unit in this prison has been denounced by various international humanrights bodies such as the UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) or the European Committeefor the Prevention of Torture (CPT).

The Observatory is further concerned overreports regarding the health condition of Mr. Anar Mammadli, who is serving aprison sentence in Jail number 13, located in an unfavourable environmentsurrounded by polluted waters. As a consequence of water contamination, Mr.Mammadli has developed allergies, and is currently receiving treatment.However, his requests to the prison administration to change cell have remainedunanswered.

The Observatory calls upon the authoritiesin Azerbaijan to ensure Ms. Leyla Yunus', Mr. Arif Yusunov's, and Mr. AnarMammadli's physical and psychological integrity by providing them adequatemedical care, and calls for their immediate release as their detention onlyaims at sanctioning their human rights activities, amidst a wave of increasingrepression against civil society organisations and representatives inAzerbaijan.

The Observatory also calls for theimmediate release of the other arbitrarily detained defenders Khadija Ismailova,Intigam Aliyev, Rasul Jafarov, Bashir Suleymani and HilalMammadov[2].

For more information, please contact:

· FIDH: Audrey Couprie/Arthur Manet: + 33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18

· OMCT: Miguel Martín Zumalacárregui: + 41 (0) 22 809 49 24

[1] For more information about the case of Ms. Leyla Yunus, see Observatory UrgentAppeal AZE 002 / 0414 / OBS 031.4.

[2] For more information about the eight human rights defenders currently indetention, please see Observatory Open Letter to the authorities, datedDecember 15, 2014, as well as Observatory Press Release, dated January 14,2015.