Leyla Yunus is the founder and director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy in Baku, and she has been one of the most vocal and outspoken human rights activists in Azerbaijan.
Leyla is also a former political prisoner. She was sentenced to 8 ½ years in prison in august 2015, after being in custody since her arrest in July 2014. She was convicted for fraud and tax evations, and faced treason charges in a separate case.
In december 2015, after nearly 1,5 years in prison, she was released on grounds of her deteriorating health.
Leyla now lives in the Netherlands, where she has received political asylum.
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A special thanks to Amnesty Norway for letting us borrow their equipment.