Azerbaijani Rights Activist Charged With Treason

Azerbaijani rights advocate Leyla Yunus (right) was detained in Baku with her husband in April.

Prominent Azerbaijani human rights activist Leyla Yunus has been charged with several crimes, among them treason, tax evasion, and illegal entrepreneurship.

Yunus was forcibly brought to the Prosecutor-General's Office on July 30 and then charged with the crimes.

A Baku court ordered Yunus to be held in pretrial detention for three months while prosecutors prepare a case against her.

In April, Azerbaijani authorities prevented Leyla Yunus and her husband, Arif, from leaving the country, saying Leyla Yunus had been summoned as a witness in a probe against journalist Rauf Mirqadirov, who had been arrested for allegedly spying for Armenia.

The Prosecutor-General's Office said Leyla Yunus was not cooperating with investigators in the probe against Mirqadirov.

Yunus has been actively involved for years in people-to-people diplomacy with Armenian rights activists.