Aug 11, 2011

News

Grantee Speaks out Against Illegal Property Seizures in Azerbaijan

Institute of Peace and Democracy highlights government corruption

The Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD), a NED grantee since 2002, has been in the spotlight as founder Leyla Yunus protests government seizures and demolitions of private property in Azerbaijan. The New York Times wrote on August 10 that,

Ms. Yunus has tried various means to stop the demolitions, but with little success. She has organized meetings with government officials and held small protests outside of some of the demolished buildings. In June, she painted a message on the wall outside her office that read: “This is private property and the destruction of this house violates the Constitution, and the European Convention on Human Rights.”

The painted message on her office building drew brazen harassment from local police (left), as did a recent anti-corruption rally she organized.

For the past 15 years, IPD has also been monitoring legal trials in Azerbaijan pertaining to freedom of speech and assembly, as well as politically-charged trials. With information collected while monitoring, IPD holds an annual “award” ceremony (right) recognizing those judges who committed major human rights outrages and trampled legal norms. These “Best Judges” are then presented, in absentia, with black-and-white striped robes. Seven judges received the “Striped Robe” in 2011.

Update: The IPD building and everything inside it was leveled on August 11. The staff was not permitted to remove any office equipment, furniture or other belongings, and the building was bulldozed in under an hour. The estimated value of the building was $625,000, not including the computers and other items inside.  The IPD believes that the government action was a reprisal for the recent article in The New York Times.

“Middle-Class Families Face Evictions in Azerbaijan,” in The New York Times. :: MORE

“Winners and losers in the new Baku,” on BBC News Europe. :: MORE

“Azerbaijani Police Break Up Anticorruption Rally,” on Radio Free Europe. :: MORE

“‘No to corruption, yes to rule of law’ in Azerbaijan,” on Democracy Digest. :: MORE