Leyla Yunus: Do not aggravate pre-election period with new repression

Baku. Leyla Yunus, Director of the Institute
for Peace and Democracy (IPD), wrote a letter to Interior Minister Ramil Usubov
to take action to stop pressure on the adviser to the leader of the Musavat
Party, Yadigar Sadykhly.

The letter notes that on June 25 in the
town of Lankaran, Sadykhly was teased by citizen Rashid Karimov in a teahouse.
The man began to scold the opposition leader by swearing and trying to draw a
response from Sadykhly. However, he was aware of the impending provocations
against him and did not react, got up and left. However, Karimov performed his
assigned task and wrote a letter that he allegedly was the victim of an attack
by Sadykhly and two other persons.

"It is clear that the behavior of the
citizen Rashid Karimov and his statement is blatant provocation to arrest
activists of the opposition party. The fact that this statement was immediately
reprinted in government and media agency AzerTAG is a testament to the fact
that we are talking about a planned provocation, which was known in Baku and
which was prepared ahead of time. Another fact is that at present the house of
Yadigar Sadykhly is under surveillance by law enforcement agencies, and
employees of these bodies are sitting in a white Jeep with state numbers 90 BA
303," said Yunus.

She recalled that over three dozen
dissidents have been arrested in the presidential election year. "The
ongoing provocations undermine trust, including the common sense and adherence
to the law under your Ministry of the Interior. Please do not aggravate the
pre-election situation in the country with new repression against activists of
opposition parties," emphasized Yunus.