[JURIST] A group of UN human rights experts on Thursday condemned [press release] an Azerbaijan court for the convictions of prominent human rights activists Leyla and Arif Yunus. The experts called the convictions “politically motivated and representative of the continuing repression of independent civil society in Azerbaijan.” The court sentenced Leyla Yunus on August 13 to eight-and-a-half years in prison on charges of fraud, tax evasion and illegal business activities. The court sentenced Arif Yunus on the same day to seven years on charges of fraud. Both Leyla and Arif pleaded not guilty after having suffered serious health problems during their nearly year-long detainment. The experts stated:

The authorities of Azerbaijan must put an end immediately to all forms of persecution against human rights activists in the country. … Leyla and Arif Yunus are two of many activists in Azerbaijan, which include Anar Mammadli, Rasul Jafarov and Intigam Aliyev, who have been targeted because of their legitimate human rights work. Silencing these prominent voices is having a devastating impact on the Azerbaijani civil society as a whole.

The experts called on the Azerbaijan government to ensure freedom of expression and the right to fair trial.

The human rights situation in Azerbaijan has drawn heavy international criticism. In April the US State Department condemned [JURIST report] the imprisonment of human rights lawyer Intigam Aliyev and called for his release. Aliyev was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison and a three-year ban from holding public office on charges of illegal entrepreneurship, tax evasion and abuse of power. The statement also called the charges “questionable,” while Aliyev himself called them “politically motivated.” Aliyev’s lawyer released a statement [JURIST report] after his arrest in 2011, saying, “his detention was connected with his activity as human rights defender, and the purpose of this is to silence him down, based on a political instruction from above.” Also in April Human Rights Watch reported the conviction [JURIST report] of leading human rights activist Rasul Jafarov and called for his immediate release.