David Lidingto, minister for Europe, said:

"I am deeply troubled by the sentencing handed down to Leyla and Arif Yunus. A number of aspects of the conduct of the trial reinforced the impression that the verdict was politically motivated. These included restrictions on diplomats and other observers accessing the court room. The apparent deterioration of Leyla and Arif’s health during the past year in pre-trial detention is also particularly worrying.

"We regularly raise concerns over Azerbaijan’s poor human rights record and will continue to pay close attention to developments in this area. We will also look for further opportunities to urge Azerbaijan to abide by its international commitments and respect the rule of law, while taking concrete steps to improve the human rights situation in the country."