Human Rights House Network including 52 organizations issued an open letter to Azerbaijani authorities.

In their letter human rights activists condemn the demolishing of the property of the human rights defender Leyla Yunus, which was a home for three human rights organizations in the centre of Baku.

A team of workers used a bulldozer to start the demolition of the building where three NGOs - the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD), Women’s Crisis Center and Azerbaijan’s Campaign to Ban Landmines - were located.

The undersigned organizations condemned unlawful demolition and any damage to the property. They asked the Azerbaijani authorities to immediately stop the illegal demolitions and ensure Azerbaijan’s commitments to the international conventions.

 The right to property is guaranteed under the first protocol of the European Convention of Human Rights and the right housing in Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural rights, which Azerbaijan is a party to. The actions also violate the provision of Article 13 and Article 28 of the Azerbaijani Constitution and corresponding provisions of the Civil and Housing Codes, says the statement posted on organization’s website.

The government of Azerbaijan should design a trustful and transparent system, which would guarantee fair compensation to the property owners according to the existing market value.