Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland expressed deep concern about the reports relating to the detention of Leyla Yunus and the opening of a prosecution case against her husband, Arif Yunus, who are both well-known human rights defenders in Azerbaijan.

“I conveyed my concerns and asked for further information and clarification of this case in a telephone conversation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan, Mr Elmar Mammadyarov,”he said in a statement.

“I expect that the ongoing enquiry by the judicial authorities into the alleged actions of these two prominent civil society representatives will meet the required Council of Europe standards.”