Updated (July 31):
Here is a brief a look at what charges against Leyla Yunus mean:
Article 274.
State betrayal- deliberate action committed by a citizen of the Azerbaijan Republic to detriment the sovereignty, territorial integrity, state security or defensibility of the Azerbaijan Republic, including espionage, passing on the state secrets to the foreign state, rendering assistance to a foreign state, foreign organization or their representatives in realization of hostile activity against the Azerbaijan Republic.
This crime is punished by imprisonment for the term of from ten up to fifteen years or life imprisonment with confiscation of property or without.
Article 178. Swindle
178.1. Swindle, is maintaining another persons property or buying another persons property by a deceit or breach of confidence –
178.3. The same act committed:
178.3.2. with causing damage in a large size;
This crime is punished by imprisonment for the term of seven and up to twelve years with confiscation of property or without.
Article 192. Illegal business
192.1. Implementation of business activity without registration in the order provided by the legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic, or without special sanction (license) in cases when such sanction (license) is mandatory, or with infringement of conditions of licensing, which caused damage to citizens, organizations or state in the significant size, as well as committed with extraction of income in the significant size.
192.2. The same act committed:
192.2.2. by organized group –
This crime is punished by restriction of freedom for the term up of up to three years or imprisonment for the term of up to five years.
Article 213. Evasion from payment of taxes
213.1. Evasion of a physical person from payment of taxes or other obligatory payments in significant amount by not representing declarations on incomes when submission of the declaration is provided by a legislation of the Azerbaijan Republic, or by inclusion in the declaration of obviously deformed data on incomes or charges, or in another way.
213.2. The same act:
213.2.2. committed with extraction in large amount of income;
Is punished by the penalty at a rate from two and up to five thousand of nominal financial unit, or corrective works for the term of up to two years, or restriction of freedom for the term of up to two years, or imprisonment for the term of about six months.
Article 320. Fake, forging or selling of official documents, state awards, seals, stamps, forms or use of counterfeit documents
320.1.
Forging of certificate or other official document, giving the rights or releasing from duties, with a view of its use or selling of such document, as well as manufacturing in same purposes or selling of counterfeit state awards of the Azerbaijan Republic, stamps, seals, forms.
It is punished by restriction of freedom for up to three years or imprisonment for the term of up to two years.
320.2.
Use of obvious counterfeit documents provided in article 320.1 of the present Code –
This is punished by the penalty at a rate from two hundred up to five hundred of nominal financial unit, or public works for the term of up to eighty days, or corrective labor for the term of up to one year, or imprisonment on the same term.
Updated 9.30PM:
Following the hearing today, Leyla Yunus will be held in pretrial detention for three months until prosecutors prepare a case against her.
Updated 6.00PM:
According to local reports, Leyla Yunus is currently in court. Her hearing just begun. She is accused of high treason (article 274), tax evasion (article 213), illegal entrepreneurship (article 192), forged documentation (article 320) and fraud (article 178.3.2).
She was interrogated for 6 hours today after unknown men got into her taxi and ordered the driver to drive to the Prosecutor Office.
Leyla Yunus husband, is also facing charges under Article 274 and 178.3.2.
Updated 11.30AM:
According to local reports, Leyla Yunus is currently at the Prosecutor’s Office where she is being questioned. In an interview to
BBC Azerbaijan
, Arif Yunus, Leyla Yunus husband said her lawyer is not allowed to see Mrs. Yunus. “It is likely [they] are going to try and arrest her as part of Mirkadirov’s case. It is also likely I too will be arrested”, said Mr. Yunus.
Earlier today, Mrs. Yunus left her apartment to attend a conference. When she got into a taxi, three unknown men got into the car with her, confiscating Mrs. Yunus as well as taxi driver’s phones.
Updated 11.20AM:
Arif Yunus who is currently inside his own apartment says some thugs are trying to break into his apartment.
***
Earlier in the afternoon today [July 30], it was reported that Leyla Yunus was “kidnapped” by unknown men. Her husband was first to report on the incident.
Prominent human rights defender and the director of Peace and Democracy Institute was already under pressure since April. Together with her husband she was traveling to a conference but was stopped at the border and prevented from leaving. The couple’s passports as well as some personal documents were confiscated. Since then, Mrs. Yunus refuses to visit prosecutor’s office. Only when the documents are returned will she go in for questioning said Yunus.
Yesterday Mrs. Yunus reported about an unknown car watching their house.
