Leyla Yunus

Quick Facts

Full Name	Leyla Yunus
Occupation	Human Rights Activist
Date Of Birth	Dec 21, 1955(1955-12-21)
Age	69
Birthplace	Baku
Country	Azerbaijan
Horoscope	Sagittarius

Leyla Yunus Biography

Leyla Yunus is one of the most popular and richest Human Rights Activist who was born on December 21, 1955 in Baku, Azerbaijan. Leyla Islam Qizi Yunusova (nee Valiyeva, born 21 December 1955 in Baku), also known as Leyla Yunusova, is an Azerbaijani human right activist and director of Institute of Peace and Democracy. This human rights organisation promotes human rights. Her work in helping Baku residents affected by forced evictions is what makes her most famous. She also organized small protests for the benefit of those she helped. Yunus was arrested by the Azerbaijani authorities in July 2014. She was accused of tax evasion and fraud, both charges that are widely considered to be suspect. Leyla Yunus was sentenced to 8.5 year imprisonment on 13 August 2015. On 9 December 2015, a court converted her suspended sentence to reflect her declining health.

She was appointed Director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy in 1995.

In 2009, Yunus was tried for libel after she stated that there was police misconduct in a recent kidnapping trial, alleging that police had been involved in further trafficking the two young girls involved. Interior Minister Ramil Usubov filed suit against her, stating that she had “caused danger to police power”. He demanded 100,000 manat in damages. Human Rights Watch protested the trial, stating that “a judgment against Yunus would set a terrible precedent for freedom of expression in Azerbaijan”, while other international groups described the case as “one more example of the Azerbaijani government cracking down on free expression”.

In 2011, after a number of failed appeals to authorities regarding police behavior during evictions, Yunus stated her intention to appeal the evictions to the European Court of Human Rights. Authorities bulldozed Yunus’ Baku office with only a few minutes’ warning on 11 August 2011, the same day an article appeared in the New York Times in which she criticized forced evictions. She was in Norway on the day of the demolition. European Union representatives “deplored” the demolition, calling her organization “a regular partner of the international community”. Azerbaijani Member of Parliament Khadi Musa Redzhabli denied that the bulldozing had been connected with Yunus’ human rights work. Fifty-two human rights organisations from 14 countries, including Index on Censorship and the Rafto Foundation, sent a joint letter of concern to the Azerbaijani authorities condemning the demolition.

Yunus was the Vice-Minister of Defence during the Nagorno–Karabakh conflict 1992-1993. He also served as Chief of the Information Analytical Centre of Ministry of Defence.

Leyla Yunus Net Worth

Leyla Yunus is one of the richest Human Rights Activist from Azerbaijan. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Leyla Yunus 's net worth $5 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)

Yunus was active in the pro-reform movement during the Soviet Union’s last years. With a few moderate intellectuals, Yunus founded the “Popular Front of Azerbaijan in support of Perestroika” in 1988. This Popular Front of Azerbaijan was initially modeled after the Popular Front of Estonia.

Yunus and Zardusht Alizadeh founded the Social Democratic Party in January 1990 with the goal of creating a moderate political voice. Yunus wrote “The Responsibilities Of A Politician” in April 1990. It argued for a democratic middle path and rejected both extreme nationalism as well as the brutal repressions of Soviet rule.

Subsequently, Yunus has worked with civil society activists in both Azerbaijan and Armenia to call for peace. She and her husband Arif, a historian, are known for actively pursuing reconciliation with Armenia. In 1998, she participated in the European Consultation of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation’s Women Peacemakers Program (WPP), together with an Armenian counterpart, on active nonviolence.

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Leyla Yunus height Not available right now. Leyla weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Who is Leyla Yunus Dating?

According to our records, Leyla Yunus is possibily single & has not been previously engaged. As of December 1, 2023, Leyla Yunus’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record : We have no records of past relationships for Leyla Yunus. You may help us to build the dating records for Leyla Yunus!

In 2014, together with Rasul Jafarov, Leyla Yunus has led a Working Group, which worked on compiling a list of political prisoners in Azerbaijan. In early August 2014 both of them have been arrested, and their names are the last ones on the list – final outcome of their work – which has been published by the Norwegian Helsinki Committee.

Facts & Trivia

Leyla Ranked on the list of most popular Human Rights Activist. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in Azerbaijan. Leyla Yunus celebrates birthday on December 21 of every year.

On 13 August 2015 Leyla Yunus was sentenced to 8.5 years in jail, her husband, Arif, was sentenced to 7 years in jail on charges of fraud and tax evasion. The couple also faced treason charges (for allegedly spying for Armenia) in a separate case, which was never heard. Western governments and human rights groups expressed concern over their prosecution. Human Rights Watch denounced their case as a show trial, and Amnesty International described the couple as prisoners of conscience.

Top Facts about Leyla Yunus

1. Leyla Yunus is an Azerbaijani human rights activist.
2. She founded the Institute for Peace and Democracy in 1995.
3. Yunus has been imprisoned multiple times for her activism.
4. In 2015, she was awarded the Right Livelihood Award.
5. She suffers from multiple health issues due to her imprisonment.
6. Yunus has advocated for democracy and peace in Azerbaijan.
7. Her husband, Arif Yunus, is also a human rights activist and political prisoner.
8. The couple were arrested together in 2014 on charges of treason.
9. Amnesty International considers them both prisoners of conscience.
10. Leyla Yunus continues to be a vocal critic of the Azerbaijani government’s human rights record.