Arif Yunus feels bad again at court session in Baku

Today, the judge of the Baku Court of Grave Crimes has interrupted the session on the case of rights defender Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif Yunus after Arif Yunus felt bad.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Arif Yunus and his wife Leyla Yunus, Director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD), are accused of economic crimes and treason. Both activists refuse to plead guilty.On August 3, Arif Yunus lost consciousness in the courtroom. On August 6, he also felt bad and fainted again.

Today, representatives of independent mass media and civil society activists were not admitted to the courtroom, where the case of the spouses was considered. Only employees of some Western embassies and several relatives of the defendants could get into the courtroom.

After the concluding speeches of advocates, who asked the court to acquit the defendants, it was supposed that the floor would be given to the defendants. However, at that moment Arif Yunus felt bad. "He nearly fell down; and slowly sliding down the bench, he put his head on his wife's shoulder. This is the third case, when Arif Yunus felt bad at the court session," his advocate Afgan Mamedov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to his story, the trial has announced a break; and Arif's doctor from the SIZO (pre-trial prison) of the Ministry of National Security of Azerbaijan was invited to him.

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