YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS.  Baku Court of Grave Crimes brought in a verdict against the Azerbaijani human rights defender, the director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy Leyla Yunus sentencing her to 8.5 years’ imprisonment and her husband, historian-scientist Arif Yunus to 7 years.

As “Armenpress” reports citing Azerbaijani mass media, Arif Yunus was almost unconscious during the announcement of the verdict because of the disease. He was lying his head on her wife’s kneels.

Arif Yunus was found guilty under the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan “swindle, causing damage in the large size”. Leyla Yunus was found guilty charged for swindle, causing damage in the large size, illegal business, tax evasion, document forgery.

The charge under state treason of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan will be considered in separate proceedings. 

Leyla and Yunis couple was arrested in the summer of 2014 for state treason and other imaginary crimes. Their lawyers insist that charges have no grounds. The real reason of the arrest of the couple is that Leyla Yunus demanded the authorities to set free nearly 100 political prisoners and always applied to international organizations on that occasion.

The international society considers the Yunus couple political prisoners and the Amnesty International organization considers them “prisoners of conscience”.

Leyla Yunus was awarded with French “Legion of Honor”.

Aliyev’s regime, rapidly losing the support of the local and international society, sees repression and instilling fear among Azerbaijani society as the only method to preserve power. This is the reason why the Azerbaijani authorities continue repressions against the civil society and mass media.