Demand Justice for Demolished Home!
- von: Care2.com
- empfänger: Azerbaijani government
Leyla Yunus is the Director of the Institute For Peace and Democracy (IPD), a human rights organization based in Baku, Azerbaijan. The building where she and her husband lived housed the offices of IPD, as well as the only Women's Crisis Center in Baku and the Azerbaijani Campaign to Ban Landmines.
Just one day after publicly speaking out against a government-sponsored "beautification project", which involved forcibly evicting thousands of residents in Baku, Leyla's own home was torn down. Because of her willingness to stand up for those evicted, their building was destroyed without any prior warning to the people inside. No other building in their immediate area was demolished. Leyla and her husband have been left without a home, struggling to run their organization, which lost everything.
It is wrong for the government of Azerbaijan to attempt "scare tactics" towards Leyla and her colleagues for standing up for human rights. Demand that Azerbaijani authorities investigate this illegal demolition, compensate Leyla and the above human rights groups for their lost property and stop directly threatening IDP's staff and their families.
Dear Azerbaijani Officials,
Leyla Yunas and her husband have been left homeless because of the illegal demolition of their building. The building also housed the Women's Crisis Centre, the Institute for Peace and Democracy, and the Azerbaijani Campaign to Ban Landmines. Because their facilities have been destroyed, they can not currently continue their work.
Coincidentally, this illegal demolition occurred one day after Leyla spoke out, in the New York Times, against your beautification campaign. It is simply wrong of you to attempt to scare Leyla away from speaking out on what she believes in and protecting human rights. Thousands of Baku residents are being evicted for this project.
Leyla Yunas, her husband, and the three organizations deserve full compensation for the things they lost in the demolition. We urge you to launch a full investigation of this incident and compensate the afflicted parties.
