AZERI RIGHT DEFENDER CALLED ON CE TO APPLY SANCTIONS AGAINST AZERBAIJAN

PanARMENIAN.Net - Director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy Leyla Yunus entirely supported the demands of PACE reporter on Azerbaijan George Klerfait to release political prisoners unconditionally. In an interview to Baku "Turan" agency she said that the statements of official Baku that there were no political prisoners in Azerbaijan represented an attempt to deceive the international community. In her words, the number of the political prisoners in the country is up to three hundred people. Commenting the demarche of the PACE Azeri delegation, which had left the hall during the discussion of the question of political prisoners in Azerbaijan, Leyla Yunus noted the members of the delegation did not represent Azerbaijan. "They are appointed by the country leadership. Thus their actions can be considered as defense of the interests of the ruling regime, not the country citizens," - she said. In her opinion, the question of the political prisoners of Azerbaijan should be discussed not only in Bureau, but also at PACE January session, as the number of political prisoners is growing in the country. Leyla Yunus considers PACE taking strict measures against Azerbaijan and demanding release of the political prisoners and stopping chase of citizens for political motives necessary.