Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 5
By Elchin Mehdiyev - Trend:
The trial on the criminal case initiated with regard to the director of the Institute of Peace and Democracy, Leyla Yunusova and her husband Arif Yunusov continued on August 5 chaired by Afghan Hajiyev.
At the hearing, the court examined the materials of the criminal case.
At first, the lawyer of Leyla Yunusova Afghan Mammadov made a request on the need to change the composition of the court. But state prosecutor Farid Nagiyev said that the petition lacked a legal basis.
The request was rejected.
Then Leyla Yunusova raised the noise and said that Justice Major Mahir Yagubov exerted pressure on her.
However, the public prosecutor considered Yunusova's claim groundless and said that by using such false information, the defendant attempts to mislead those in the courtroom, as well as the media and public.
But Leyla Yunusova repeatedly made a fuss and attempted to disrupt the court session.
Moreover, without permission, she started talking with the representatives of other countries' embassies in Azerbaijan present at the court.
Meanwhile, Yunusova attempted to disrupt the public prosecutor's speech and even insulted him.
The judge warned Yunusova of inadmissibility of insulting and attempting to disrupt the trial.
Then Yunusova's other lawyer - Ramiz Mammadov urged the court not to recognize Rena Safaraliyeva, the head of the "Azerbaijani women for peace and democracy in the South Caucasus" public association as a victim.
Mammadov also presented the books published by Arif Yunusov to the court with the financial support of the Marshall Fund, proposed to include them into the list of documents on the criminal case and urged to summon the representatives of the fund to give testimony in the court.
The lawyer said that the grants received by Yunusov from the Marshall Fund, were spent on publishing these books. The fund has not expressed any claims in this regard.
The court partially granted this petition and included the books in the list of materials on the criminal case.
During the hearing, Yunusova also said that due to deteriorating state of health, Arif Yunusov cannot give evidence in court every day. However, the state prosecutor said that Arif Yunusov is constantly under the medical supervision, and he doesn't see any problems preventing him from attending the trial.
Then the judge announced the completion of the trial investigation.
The trial will continue August 6.
Leyla Yunusova is charged under the articles 274 (high treason), 178.3.2 (fraud (by causing major damage)), 192.2.2 (illegal entrepreneurship), 213.2.2 (tax evasion in a large amount), 320.1 (falsification of the certificate or other official document providing rights or exempting from duties in order to use or sell this document, as well as for the same purposes to work out or sell forged state awards of Azerbaijan Republic, stamps, seals, forms) and 320.2 (use of deliberately forged documents indicated in the Article 320.1 of the present Code) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
Arif Yunusov is charged under the articles 274 (high treason) and 178.3.2 (fraud) of Azerbaijan's Criminal Code.