Trial of Spouses Yunus Accelerated: Prosecutor to Speak Tomorrow (UPDATED)

On Wednesday, the court in the case of human rights defenders Leyla and Arif Yunus completed research of the papers.

As the lawyer Elchin Gambarov told reporters, the court again rejected the defense motion to postpone the hearing because of the poor health of Arif Yunus, and continued the meeting.

During the meeting, when Arif was getting really bad, a doctor was invited into the room and she made him injections.

Today, the judge announced the completion of the trial, appointing the statement of the prosecutor for 6 August.

Note that political trials in Azerbaijan are usually long and tedious.

This time, the authorities are carrying out an accelerated trial, indicating an effort to complete it as soon as possible. -03C-

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The state of health of Arif Yunus has deteriorated, as the lawyer Ramiz Mammadov told reporters in the court.

According to him, Yunus is in the dock during the trial. At the same time, he does not have health care. Just before the meeting he was made an injection.

Leyla Yunus began to demand the provision of medical care to her husband. The judge said that if assistance is required, it will be provided.

According to the lawyer, the court left no consideration of the petition of the defense to call additional witnesses and representatives of donor organizations.

Then the research of the documents began.

Leyla Yunus, addressing the public prosecutor, called him "an executioner."

The trial in such circumstances does not promise positive prospects for the accused, said the lawyer.

In the judicial practice of Azerbaijan there have not been cases of trial on immobile patients. Apparently the Baku Court of Grave Crimes decided to use the experience of Egypt, where the disgraced dictator Mubarak was tried in this way.

However, even he was lying on a stretcher, but not on a wooden dock. -06D-

2015 August 05 (Wednesday) 12:38:12

In the Baku Court of Grave Crimes on Wednesday, journalists, civil society activists and representatives of international organizations were not allowed to the Leyla and Arif Yunus trial again. But representatives of the embassies of the US, ​​the UK and Germany were again “lucky” to get into the hall.

The administration allowed others to the hall through the back door. Soon there was one of them, Emin Adalatli, who identified himself as the son of the head of the party Shah Ismail, of which no one has heard.

He said that at the beginning of the meeting, Leyla Yunus said about the deterioration of her health: she lost 15 kg in weight and she has run out of medicine. She then asked the representative of the German Embassy to help in purchasing medication for her.

Arif Yunus also became ill and the doctor present in the room gave him medication.

Leyla Yunus protested, claiming unfair conduct of the investigation.

The leader of the Popular Front Party Ali Kerimli condemned the conduct of a "closed trial" of the spouses Yunus.

"Leyla and Arif are slandered. If there were evidence of their guilt, the authorities would conduct an open trial. What are they hiding? This is further evidence that the couple did not commit any crimes and was arrested by order of the government.

In such circumstances, no fair trial can be held. The political order will be executed and they will be deprived of liberty," said Kerimli. -03C06-