The decision by a group of MEPs to nominate for the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize Azerbaijani activist Leyla Yunus, presently embroiled in an embezzlement case, has been criticized as “inappropriate“ by a fellow MEP.

She has been put forward for the award despite being mired in criminal proceedings over the alleged embezzlement of tens of thousands of euro from a string of NGOs with which she was involved.

Also nominated for the 2014 award is murdered Iraqi Law Professor Mahmoud Al-Asali, killed this year by ISIS because he stood up for the minority Christian population in the city of Mosul. Last year the award went to brave Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban because she wanted to go to school.

Asked why they nominated Yunus, given that her guilt or innocence is yet to be determined by a court, the MEPS including Alexander Graf Lambsdorff (ALDE, Germany), MEP Marietje Schaake (ALDE, the Netherlands) and MEP Ramon Tremosa (ALDE, Spain) all declined to comment.

But a Socialist MEP criticised the nomination, telling this journalist it is "not appropriate given the seriousness of the allegations".

The deputy said: "The Sakharov Prize is the EU´s most prestigious human rights award but, in the circumstances, I do not think her nomination is appropriate."

These comments echo those last week from Azerbaijani MP Elkhan Suleymanov (pictured), who reminded MEPs by letter that the fraud charges against Yunus “came to light because Azerbaijan is committed to fighting graft and corruption in line with international standards.”

He also criticised the EP motion calling on Yunus to be freed as contrary to the judicial process, and accused Lambsdorff, the prime mover of the resolution, of “using a legal issue to apply political pressure against Azerbaijan”.

The Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought was inaugurated by the EP in 1988 and is named after Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov. Past winners include Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, and Kofi Annan.

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