Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry has responded to the statement of the US State Department on Leyla Yunus dated to July 31.
Ministry`s press service told , no one is prosecuted and judged for his/her political views and activity: “As in the democratic society where the law is supreme, no one can consider himself/herself over the law in Azerbaijan too. Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor’s Office and National Security Ministry released statement on detention of Leyla Yunus on July 31. Along with other charges, Leyla Yunus is also charged with betrayal of Motherland.
It’s not true to claim that activity of civil society is limited in Azerbaijan, where over 3,000 NGOs operates. It’s unacceptable to put political pressure on Azerbaijan through such methods.
Such statements are assessed as efforts to politicize the mentioned investigation, interfere in its work and doubt independence of Azerbaijan’s court system.
Regarding the claims that Leyla Yunus’s accusation is related to public diplomacy, we’d like to note that as the most interesting side in the settlement of the conflict, Azerbaijan has always supported dialogue between Azerbaijani and Armenian communities of Nagorno Karabakh. However, social activity and public diplomacy measures should be taken within the legislation of Azerbaijan.
“It would be better if the State Department, which claims it protects law, thought about slapping sanctions on Armenia, that occupied Azerbaijan’s territories, committed bloody ethnic cleansing and continues such acts today too, within the international law and decisions of the international organizations”.
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