The departure of the Azerbaijani human rights activist Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif Yunus was preceded by a dialogue that took place at the initiative of First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.
Representatives of Aliyeva brought to the Yunus’s attention her willingness to facilitate their travel abroad for medical treatment, as well as on other issues.
An informed source told Turan the couple was let know the wish of their returning to the homeland after the treatment and the creation of conditions for their public and scientific work in the future.
Leyla and Arif Yunus flew from the Baku international airport at 2 am on April 18 by a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Amsterdam, accompanied by Doctor Christian Witt.
Up to boarding the plane they were accompanied by people providing their unimpeded and safe departure from Baku.
On the same day the couple arrived in Amsterdam and stayed there for two days with their daughter Dinara and then escorted to the Berlin hospital where they are undergoing treatment.
The man that accompanied the couple in the Netherlands reported that Arif’s health was not stable, and he often fainted from a hypertensive crisis.
In the German hospital in the first place, measures were taken to block the tumor, which was formed on his back in the period of detention in Baku.
The Yasamal District Court on February 11 refused to let the spouses Yunus leave for treatment, and the permission was only given on April 18.
Arif Yunus suffers from hypertension, and Leyla Yunus suffers from hepatitis, diabetes, pancreatitis and gallstones, which worsened after her arrest. Both are in need of urgent surgery and treatment.
Leyla and Arif Yunus, a year after their arrest, were sentenced August 13, 2015 by the Court of Grave Crimes to 8.5 and 7 years in prison, respectively, with gross neglect of international standards and due procedures by the court. On December 9, 2015 they were released conditionally on probation for five years.
"Leyla and Arif put their own welfare and safety at stake for the sake of the struggle for democracy and human rights. They fought to improve the situation in Azerbaijan. Well, now they can relax after a long struggle to improve the human rights situation in Azerbaijan," said the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands Bert Koenders.
The Netherlands, the EU and other countries have made efforts to release the couple Yunus after their arrest.
"We continue to urge Azerbaijan to continue this process," said Koenders, expressing hope that it is a measure to improve the situation of human rights in Azerbaijan. -0-
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