Baku, Azerbaijan, April 29
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
Providing Azerbaijani human rights activist Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif Yunus with a long-term visa, and a representative of a foreign embassy accompanying them to the airport raised certain questions, deputy executive secretary of the ruling New Azerbaijan Party Mubariz Gurbanli told Trend on April 29.
"It turns out that someone was interested in their rapid departure," he said.
He stressed that all countries work to ensure national security and the Azerbaijani law enforcement bodies are working in this direction.
"I believe that law enforcement officers demonstrate great professionalism in ensuring Azerbaijan's national security," he said. "Certain actions are periodically taken for this."
"A detailed statement will be made in connection with the detention of Leyla Yunus, her husband and their activity," he added.
"I would like to stress that previously, journalist Rauf Mirkadirov was detained and is under investigation," he added. "I can not say whether the detention of Leyla Yunus and her husband is connected with Mirkadirov's case.
However, in any case, these detentions have reasonable grounds and it is not be due to their social activities or any activities within NGOs.
"Apparently, there are other reasons. It is also known that Leyla Yunus permanently maintained close ties with a number of anti-Azerbaijani organizations abroad. Of course, her activities and relations with certain NGOs is not our business, it is the work of our structures related to security, and probably all this will be investigated. Why after the arrest of Rauf Mirkadirov, Yunus began to show such assiduity, to fuss, without waiting for the process and the results of the investigation? If you think logically, it turns out that Leyla Yunus is for some reason concerned about the arrest of Rauf Mirkadirov," Gurbanli said.
The representative of the ruling party believes that there are no political motives of the detention of Leyla Yunus and her husband.
Azerbaijani human rights activists Leyla and Arif Yunus were arrested at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku last night, according to the law enforcement bodies.
The Embassy of France in Azerbaijan issued 5-year visa for Leyla and Arif Yunus within two hours on April 28, according to informal information.
Translated by N.H., L.Z.
Edited by C.N.