Azerbaijan: Leyla Yunus' advocates urge authorities to place her in prison hospital

Today, the advocates of the rights defender Leyla Yunus have issued a joint statement asking Azerbaijani authorities to change her freedom restraint measure to home arrest, or to place her into the prison hospital.

Leyla and her husband were put behind bars; and both refuse to plead guilty. Leyla's advocates report that she has complained about pressure from her cellmate and personnel of the SIZO (pre-trial prison), absence of medical care and prepared provocations with the aim to place her into the dungeon. The Penitentiary Service of Azerbaijan denied any violations of her rights.

Today, Leyla's advocates Khalid Bagirov, Djavad Djavadly, Fariz Namazly, Alaif Gasanov and Elchin Gambarov issued a joint statement about a threat to Leyla Yunus' life.

"We hereby state with all the responsibility that the physical condition of Leyla Yunus has greatly deteriorated and reached an extreme point. She is kept in a cold cell without access to hot water. In these conditions, the consequences of her four surgeries have led to a sharp deterioration of her health condition. With account of the aforesaid, there is no guarantee that Leyla Yunus will live to see the end of this year," says the advocates' statement received by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.