Arif Yunusov
Born (1955-01-12) 12 January 1955
Baku, Azerbaijan
NationalityAzerbaijani
Other namesArif Yunusov
Occupation(s)author, historian, and human rights activist
Organization(s)Institute of Peace and Democracy
Known forcivil society engagement

Arif Seyfulla oghlu Yunusov, (Azerbaijani: Arif Seyfulla oğlu Yunusov) also known as Arif Yunus[1] (born 12 January 1955), is an Azerbaijani author, historian, and human rights activist. He is the head of the Department of Conflict and Migration of the Institute of Peace and Democracy. Arif Yunusov along with his wife Leyla are supporters of a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. On 28 April 2014, Arif Yunusov and his wife Leyla were jailed on charges of extortion and treason for allegedly spying for Armenia.[2] After being detained, Arif Yunusov was sentenced to 7 years in jail; his wife, Leyla Yunus, was sentenced to 8.5 years in jail. Their sentences were suspended 15 months later and the couple was allowed to leave for the Netherlands.[3]

Life and work

Arif Yunusov was born in Baku, Azerbaijan, on 12 January 1955, to an Azerbaijani father and an Armenian mother.[4][5] He began his studies at Baku State University and graduated from there in 1981. During his time as a student in Baku State, Arif Yunusov met his future wife Leyla Yunus.[6] Arif Yunusov eventually attained his doctorate in history in 1986. In 1992, working for the Presidential Office of Azerbaijan, he became the Head of Information and Analytical Department and served this position for a year. He became the executive director of the Azeri Independent Information and Analytical Center. Having served his position at Azeri until September 1994, Yunusov eventually became the Chief of Department of Conflictology and Migration Studies of Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD).[7] The IPD promotes dialogue among intellectuals in both Armenia and Azerbaijan.[8]

Arif Yunusov defends those who suffer from torture and condemns the imprisonment of people for political reasons.[9]

Yunusov has published over 30 books and 190 articles related to Azerbaijani history and Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.[7]

Arif Yunusov along with his wife Leyla are supporters of a peaceful resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan.[6][9] He has taken part in various conferences and seminars for such a solution to the conflict.[7]

Arrest, imprisonment and release

On 28 April 2014, Arif Yunusov and his wife Leyla were detained at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport on their way to Doha, Qatar amid a crackdown on human rights activists and journalists.[10] He and Leyla were then jailed.[11] At times, during various trials, Arif Yunusov has lost consciousness due to his health conditions.[9] He was released due to poor health and was placed under guard and prohibited from leaving Baku.[12][8]

On 13 August 2015 Arif Yunusov was sentenced to 7 years in jail, and his wife, Leyla, was sentenced to 8.5 years in jail on charges that include fraud and tax evasion. The couple also faced treason charges (allegedly for spying for Armenia) in a separate case, which was later suspended.[13] Western governments and human rights groups expressed concern over their prosecution. Human Rights Watch has denounced their case as a show trial, and Amnesty International declared the couple prisoners of conscience.[14][15]

The detention of Arif and Leyla Yunus, as well as Rasul Jafarov, has largely been regarded as another step in the state crackdown on civil society in Azerbaijan.[16] The actions of the authorities were harshly condemned by many prominent international human rights organizations, among them Amnesty International (which calls the Yunus "prisoners of conscience" and has called on the authorities to release them immediately),[17] Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe,[18] United States Mission to the OSCE,[19] Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders,[20] Nobel Women's Initiative,[21] Reporters Without Borders,[22] Human Rights Watch[23] and others.

Human Rights Watch called for the suspension of Azerbaijan's membership from an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) because of "Azerbaijan government’s offensive against human rights defenders and non-governmental organizations".[24]

Leyla and Arif Yunus were allowed by Azerbaijani government to travel to the Netherlands for health treatment in April 2016, where they remained to reside in.[25]

Personal life

Arif Yunusov is married to Leyla Yunus. They have one daughter.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Quote: <...>my surname is being written as Yunus without asking, even though I'm still Yunusov according to my passport. Original: Russian: <...> мою фамилию не спрося стали везде писать Юнус, хотя по паспорту я до сих пор Юнусов
  2. ↑ Mukhtarli, Afgan (1 August 2014). "Top Azeri Rights Defender Held on Treason Charge". Institute for War & Peace Reporting.
  3. ↑ "Azerbaijani Court Orders Forcible Return Of Activists Leyla, Arif Yunus". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2017-05-17. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
  4. ↑ Eynulla Fatullayev. Секретное досье Лейлы и Арифа Юнусовых (фотофакты) Часть первая. Haqqin.az. 7 May 2014.
  5. ↑ Thomas De Waal. A Free-thinker Loses His Freedom in Azerbaijan. carnegieendowment,org. 9 January 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 Sindelar, Daisy (28 August 2014). "Together a lifetime, Azerbaijan couple now separated in jail". Guardian.
  7. 1 2 3 "CV: Arif S. Yunusov Doctor of History" (PDF). Osteuropa-Institut. Freien Universität Berlin.
  8. 1 2 "Azerbaijan: Leading Rights Defender Arrested". Human Rights Watch. 5 August 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 "Azerbaijan: Front Line Defenders Condemns the Sentencing of Leyla Yunus and Araf Yunus". Association for Women's Rights in Development. 18 August 2015. Archived from the original on 8 September 2015.
  10. ↑ "Azerbaijan's Leyla Yunus, human rights defender, held". BBC News. 29 April 2014.
  11. ↑ "Leyla Yunus's Husband Arrested In Azerbaijan". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2014.
  12. ↑ "Call for the immediate and unconditional release of Leyla Yunus, Arif Yunusov and Rasul Jafarov". Index on Censorship. 6 August 2014.
  13. ↑ Azerbaijan: Interpol must prevent misuse of alerts against Leyla and Arif Yunus. 13 June 2017.
  14. ↑ "Azerbaijan criticised for jailing activist couple". Guardian. 13 August 2015.
  15. ↑ "Groups Assail Sentencing of Azeri Rights Activist". Voice of America. 13 August 2015.
  16. ↑ Valle, MJ del (15 August 2014). "Azerbaijan detains prominent human rights activists in fresh crackdown". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  17. ↑ Document - Azerbaijan: Leyla Yunus in failing health in prison
  18. ↑ "PACE: News". coe.int. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  19. ↑ "United States Mission to the OSCE. Ongoing Detentions and Arrests of Peaceful Activists in Azerbaijan" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-10-21. Retrieved 2017-06-24.
  20. ↑ "Azerbaijan: Prominent human rights defender Leyla Yunus, IPD Director and a member of OMCT General Assembly, sentenced to three months pre-trial detention". omct.org. Archived from the original on 3 October 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  21. ↑ "Nobel Women: Release human rights activist Leyla Yunus". nobelwomensinitiative.org. Archived from the original on 29 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  22. ↑ "Repression unleashed against information freedom defenders - Reporters Without Borders". rsf.org. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  23. ↑ "Azerbaijan: Leading Rights Defender Arrested". Human Rights Watch. 5 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  24. ↑ "Azerbaijan: Transparency Group Should Suspend Membership". Human Rights Watch. 14 August 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  25. ↑ "Azerbaijani Court Orders Forcible Return Of Activists Leyla, Arif Yunus". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 2017-05-17. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
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