The Court of Appeal will re-consider the case of spouses Yunus

The Supreme Court of Azerbaijan has partially satisfied the cassation complaint of human rights activist Leyla Yunus and her husband Arif Yunus, Turan was told by the lawyer Elchin Sadigov.

Spouses Yunus were arrested in the summer of 2014. In August 2015 the Baku Serious Crimes Court, finding them guilty of committing economic crimes, sentenced to 8.5 and 7 years in prison. In December of the same year, the Baku Court of Appeal replaced the real terms of imprisonment on probation. In April 2016 the couple Yunus left the country for treatment. The defense filed an appeal, in which it requested to justify the spouses.

According to the lawyer Sadigov, the Supreme Court partially granted an appeal – declined the Baku Court of Appeal’s decision and returned the case for its re-investigation. In fact, the case is returning to the situation, when in power was the verdict of the Baku  Serious Crimes Court. 

 The Baku Court of Appeal (BCA)  can conduct  a re-trial investigation and even to elect in respect of spouses Yunus preventive measure - arrest and declared wanted. "Now it is difficult to say, how to behave in the Court of Appeal," Sadigov said.

Logically, if the complaint is partially satisfied and the decision was made in favor of the spouses Yunus, the Court of Appeal should not worsen their legal status," said the lawyer.

Another lawyer Afgan Mammadov told Turan, that the defense has not yet received the text of the decision of the Supreme Court, and said it is difficult to comment on.

"But I do not think that the measures of persecution will be taken in respect of the Yunus spouses. This will cause an international resonance. Just judiciary  system  is delaying the case. Probably, the proceedings in the Court of Appeal will drag on for 1-2 years," he said. -03B06 / 06-