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Azerbaijanâ€™s Prosecutor Generalâ€™s Office comments on article in Washington Post about premeditated murder of John Alvis

29 December 2010 15:20 (UTC +04:00)

Press service of the Prosecutor Generalâ€™s Office told APA that this information is not true.

The body of John Alvis, the US citizen, representative of Azerbaijan and Georgia program of the International Republican Institute, was found with signs of violence on it in H.Rzayeva street, 7, Baku at about 1 on November 30, 2000. Criminal proceeding was initiated on the fact of murder on articles 120.2.4 and 120.2.5 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan Republic. The main versions saying that John Alvis was killed for profit, as a result of the abnormal treatment towards the persons with non-traditional orientation, due to the political motives, by foreign intelligence services aiming to damage the US-Azerbaijan relations, by the members of the terrorist organizations carrying out terrorist operations against the US citizens were thoroughly investigated.

Large-scale operations were carried out over the case, about 1000 witnesses were interrogated, fingerprints of approximately 1500 people were taken. 700 people were kept under observation, 36 examinations were designated and relevant opinions were given. In accordance with the version saying that John Alvis was killed due to the political motives, his business relations and ties with the political parties, unions and organizations in Azerbaijan, representatives of the US and other foreign states in Azerbaijan were investigated, the representatives of the above-mentioned organizations, of the Tbilisi office of the International Republican Institute were interrogated, their relations with the abovementioned international organizations, parties and the probability of these factorsâ€™ links to the crime were analyzed. In accordance with the version saying that John Alvis was killed due to his non-traditional orientation and lifestyle, the persons, with whom he got acquainted in the restaurants, bars and other entertaining places, women and men, with whom he had intimate relations, little ones washing cars at the stop next to the place where he lived, the persons with non-traditional orientation, inclined to sadism in Baku were determined. Their relations with John Alvis were investigated, the operations are still underway. US FBI experts participated in investigation of the site where they found a letter in English sent by â€œZaurâ€ among the Alvisâ€™ personal items, which confirmed his intimate relationship with men. Due to the information giving by the letter, 105 persons having relations with him were identified and interrogated as witnesses. Fingerprint, blood examples were investigated by FBI, but no identity was found. Foreign citizens also having relations to the case were interrogated by FBI investigators and their fingerprints were also examined. The material evidences taken from the site were investigated with the contemporary methods and FBI investigation results were also added to the criminal case. FBI experts also found blood examples of other man alongside with the Alvisâ€™ blood examples at the site and identified sexual code. Blood examples, fingerprints of the persons interested the investigation were also submitted to FBI.

FBI made photocopies of video tapes of the car entered the area while murder was committed and more than 1000 similar cars registered in Baku were examined and owners of 21 cars were interrogated. Fingerprints and blood examples of the suspected persons were also sent to FBI investigation. No one was detained as a suspect on the case of John Alvisâ€™ murder. The special commission established by the General Prosecutorâ€™s order learned the criminal case and all orders were fulfilled completely. US House of Representatives, FBI representation on the Caucasus and other organizations were informed about the results of the investigation. US embassy in Azerbaijan organized examination of the material evidences, FBI experts, US embassy workers, experts of the Azerbaijani prosecutorâ€™s office, Internal Affairs and National Security discussed the investigative process, versions and results in details. The investigators identified that John Alvis was killed not because of his political and labor activity, and there is a high probability that he was killed because of his intimate relations with the sexual minorities. But Peter Van Praagh ill-intentionally distorted the facts, as if he doesnâ€™t know those facts, and tried to describe it as a murder for his cooperation with the democratic forces.
Law-enforcement organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan stated many times that they give importance to the working relations with US FBI in the field of legal assistance and are ready for mutual useful cooperation.