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Azerbaijan: Stop forced evictions and demolitions
The Nobel Women's Initiative has called on the President of Azerbaijan to immediately stop the forced evictions and illegal demolitions of private property in the city of Baku. This comes after the demolition of the home of colleague Leyla Yunus, a staunch defender of human rights. Her house was home to the Institute for Peace and Democracy, the Azerbaijani Campaign to Ban Landmines, and the Women's Crisis Centre. All of their documents and equipment were destroyed in the demolition.
The demolition of Leyla's home has been labelled a retaliatory attack by international organizations. The day before the demolition, Ms. Yunus was quoted in the New York Times denouncing the forced evictions. The spate of demolitions started after it became known that the Eurovision song contest will be held in Baku in May 2012. Approximately 20,000 citizens have lost their homes.
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Middle-class families face evictions in Azerbaijan, New York Times, 10 August 2011.
Offices of Activist Bulldozed in Azerbaijan, New York Times, 12 August 2011.
Illegal demolition of the offices of three NGOs and destruction of their documents and equipment, Frontline Defenders, 16 August 2011.