Rena Safaraliyeva

Prosecution’s witnesses describe Leyla Yunus as professional, committed person

Summary: the third hearing (July 28) · When court reconvened on Tuesday morning, July 28, we continued to hear from the prosecution’s witnesses. · Rena Safaraliyeva, the current head of the Transparency International Azerbaijan chapter, claims to be a victim in the case. During the cross-examination of the prosecution’s witnesses, the defense continued to challenge Safaraliyeva’s version of events. In the meantime, there has been a great deal of controversy over the legitimacy of the power of attorney given to Safaraliyeva’s lawyer – already familiar to many...

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Transparency International Azerbaijan Chapter Head testifies for the prosecution

Summary: Second Hearing during the Trial of Leyla and Arif Yunus (July 27 2015) · A witness for the prosecution, Rena Safaraliyeva, the head of the Transparency International Azerbaijani Chapter, concluded her time on the stand with a grilling from defence lawyers. Safaraliyeva, who claims to be a victim in the case, testified about the alleged damages she had suffered. Safaraliyeva failed to substantiate her claims, and some of her responses caused laughter in the courtroom. · The defence called to dismiss Rena Safaraliyeva’s lawyer, Shohrat Allahmanov, reminding...

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After year in detention, Leyla Yunus appears before court in Baku

It’s been almost a year since Azerbaijan civil society last saw human rights defender Leyla Yunus. Today she appeared in court – ill, fatigued, and kept in an isolated glass cage – on trial for the first time since she was charged with a ludicrous cocktail of crimes, ranging from tax evasion to high treason. It was also the first time she has seen her husband Arif after many months of being kept apart, detained in separate facilities. "Let me speak... It's not fair...” Leyla and Arif...