The Baku Court of Appeal held its preliminary hearing based on the appeal of Leyla Yunus and Arif Yunus attorneys.
Upon her arrival to the court room, rights defender Leyla Yunus said, "Since October 7, I have been denied of my rights to phone calls and meeting my relatives".
Yunus, who is the Director of the Peace and Democracy Institute said it was Iftikhar Gurbanov, deputy of the Medical Office of the Ministry of Justice and Murad Mammadov, chairman of the commission on examination and treatment of persons infected with hepatitis virus acting under of the Ministry of Health who were responsible for this. "It is with their order that my phone calls and meetings with relatives and friends were banned".
Leyla Yunus walked into the court room using a cane.
The presiding judge asked Leyla and Arif Yunus for their opinion. "I am not feeling well. And I do not understand what you are talking about", said Arif Yunus in his response.
Leyla Yunus responded, "It doesn't really matter who looks at the case. We don't have a judge or a prosecutor. It is all the same!"
She also objected that the translaton of the appeal was handed to her on the day of the hearing.
"I know that you have been called and told of the final ruling of this court. At least have the decency to comply with formalities of the hearing".
The judge responded that she will be give time to familiarize herself with the appeal and this is why the court is postponed to October 15.
