HRW calls on Azerbaijani authorities to free Yunus spouses from charges

In Baku, the court has scheduled the consideration of the appeal against the sentence to human rights defender Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif Yunus for October 12. The Azerbaijani authorities should free the Yunus spouses from charges and release them. This was declared by the statement made by the international human rights organization "Human Rights Watch" (HRW).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on August 13, the Baku Court has sentenced Leyla Yunus to 8.5 years of imprisonment and her husband Arif Yunus to 7 years in prison. Leyla Yunus, the Director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD), and her husband Arif Yunus, a political analyst, were accused of economic crimes and treason. Both completely denied their guilt.

The statement published on the HRW's website on October 9 notes that both spouses suffer from serious chronic diseases and need urgent medical attention. Leyla Yunus suffers from severe forms of diabetes, hepatitis, gallstones, and hypertension. Her husband, according to the human rights organization, suffers from heart problems and severe arterial hypertension. Since his arrest in April 2014, he had suffered from two apoplectic attacks.

"The court can make a step towards the restoration of law and justice in Azerbaijan... The recognition of the fact that the sentencing of Leyla and Arif Yunus does not comply with the Azerbaijan's human rights obligations would be the first vital step to overcome a terrible miscarriage of justice, from which they suffer," the "contact.az" quotes Rachel Denber, Deputy Director of the HRW's Europe and Central Asia Division, as stating.

According to Rachel Denber, the Yunus spouses need medical treatment and should never have been imprisoned.

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