Advocates demand from court to take into account grave health condition of Yunus spouses

Today, the Baku Court of Appeal (BCA) has begun considering on the merits the appeal complaint lodged by Leyla and Arif Yunus. During the session Leyla was inside a glass cage; she looked highly exhausted and pale. Arif was sitting in the courtroom next to their advocates, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent reports.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that Leyla Yunus, the Director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD) and her husband Arif Yunus were accused of economic crimes and treason. On August 13, Leyla Yunus, was sentenced to 8.5 years of imprisonment, and Arif Yunus – to 7 years in prison. The spouses denied their guilt and declared the political nature of their case. The verdict was appealed against.

After the Yunus spouses were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, their defence compared the verdict with a death sentence. According to advocates, while sentencing the Yunus spouses, the court ignored the health states and ages of the defendants.

Elchin Sadygov, Leyla's advocate, said in his speech today that the first instance court had failed to prove the guilt of the spouses.

"If the court doesn't find it necessary to acquit Leyla and Arif Yunus, then I ask to take into account the state of their health and apply to them some form of punishment not involving deprivation of freedom, since their further custody is fatally dangerous for them," said Sadygov.

On November 12, the court released Arif Yunus from custody because of deterioration of his health. However, he is at large only until the completion of consideration of the above appeal; and should it be rejected, he will be placed behind bars again. The USA, the EU and the OSCE repeatedly called on official Baku to release Leyla and Arif Yunus.

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