Azerbaijan extends rights activist's pretrial detention by 5 months
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 18 February 2015 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Azerbaijan extends rights activist's pretrial detention by 5 months, 18 February 2015, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/550940cec.html [accessed 27 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
February 18, 2015
By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service
BAKU – A court in Azerbaijan has extended the pretrial detention of a prominent human rights activist by over five months.
Lawyer Elcin Qambarov told RFE/RL that a Baku court on February 18 ruled Leyla Yunus must stay in pretrial detention until July 28.
Yunus, 59, the founding director of the unregistered Peace and Democracy Institute in Baku, was arrested in July, 2014 on charges of high treason related to her work in Armenia, Azerbaijan's historical rival.
Yunus's health is reported to have severely declined in detention.
Her lawyers say she has been subjected to beatings and denied medical care for advanced liver disease.
Yunus's husband, Arif Yunus, is also being held on similar charges.
The couple says the cases against them are politically motivated.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
