Yunus, a prominent human rights activist in Azerbaijan and director of the country’s Institute for Peace and Democracy, was arrested July 30, 2014, and imprisoned. She was charged with treason, large-scale fraud, forgery, tax evasion and illegal business activity. Her husband, Arif, a historian and scholar, was arrested Aug. 5, 2014, and faced similar charges.
Their recent trial ended in convictions and sentences of eight and a half years in prison for Ms. Yunus and seven years for Mr. Yunus. They still face further prosecution on the treason charges. Until their incarceration, Mr. and Ms. Yunus were members of a courageous band of scholars and activists who, by personal example, attempted to show that the brutality and closed-mindedness of the Soviet era were over.

Ms. Yunus was actively involved for years in people-to-people diplomacy with Armenian rights activists, and has won several international prizes and honors for her human rights activities.
The United States and European Union, as well as international groups such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and the International Federation for Human Rights, have condemned the incarceration of Leyla and Arif Yunus and demanded their immediate release.