In Azerbaijan, Court leaves Leyla Yunus in custody

The Baku Court of Appeal (BCA) has left in custody human rights defender Leyla Yunus and dismissed her complaint about the extension of her detention.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on February 18, in Azerbaijan, the detention of Leyla Yunus was extended for five months. The defence has appealed against the decision.

Leyla Yunus, the Director of the Institute for Peace and Democracy (IPD), and her husband Arif Yunus are accused of economic crimes and treason. The Yunus spouses plead not guilty, and their prosecution has been sharply criticized by international organizations. The health state of the human rights defender is of great concern to her defence and friends.

"Unfortunately, the consideration of the appeal was a mere formality. Leyla Yunus is seriously ill. She suffers from an acute form of diabetes, and she is diagnosed with high blood pressure and liver problems. Even from the humane point of view, her detention is unjustified," the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told by advocate Elchin Gambarov.

According to the advocate, the highest authority to select pre-trial restriction measure is the Court of Appeal.

"We have already sent a complaint about the unlawful arrest of Leyla Yunus to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). And it has already started communication with the Azerbaijani government; the complaint has been accepted for consideration as a priority," the advocate has added.

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