More seven NGO bank accounts frozen

More seven NGO bank accounts frozen
# 05 August 2014 16:08 (UTC +04:00)

Baku. Ramiz Mikayiloglu – APA. By the decisions of the district courts, bank accounts of a number of non-governmental organizations (NGO) were frozen upon the application of the General Prosecutor’s Office.

APA reports that Media Rights Institute chaired by Rashid Hajili, Democratic Institutions and Human Rights Public Union chaired by Elchin Abdullayev, Democracy and Human Rights Resource Center chaired by Asabali Mustafayev, Azerbaijan Lawyers Association chaired by Annagi Hajibayli, Center for National and International Studies chaired by Leyla Aliyeva, the Public Association for Assistance to Free Economy headed by Zohrab Ismail are among those NGOs.

Applications of the General Prosecutor’s Office to the court regarding the NGOs are mainly in the same context. According to the applications, the criminal case is investigated with the Criminal Code’s articles #308.1 and #313 on the facts of the violation of law in the activities of Azerbaijan’s some NGOs and branches and representative offices of foreign NGOs. As the representations of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX), Open Society Institute Assistance Foundation of the Principality of Liechtenstein in Azerbaijan and the U.S. Embassy in Azerbaijan transferred large amount of funds to the bank accounts of these NGOs and there are evidences that those funds are subject of crime, it was demanded to arrest these bank accounts within the criminal procedure course to ensure complete, comprehensive and objective investigation, further confiscation of criminally obtained funds and to prevent the alienation. District courts also made judgment on the arrest of these bank accounts within the criminal procedure course.

Personal accounts of R.Hajili, E.Abdullayev and Z.Ismayil were also frozen.

Head of Legal Education Society, Intigam Aliyev whose bank account was frozen earlier and Z.Ismayil confirmed to the APA that banks accounts of the mentioned NGOs and persons have been frozen.

Bank account of the IREX Azerbaijan office has been frozen unilaterally, lawyer of the IREX Alasgar Mammadli told APA. According to him, it became impossible to withdraw funds out of the bank account. Mammadli said the company’s activities are transparent. He also said he hopes investigations will come to an end by November 1 and the arrest warrant on the bank account will be dropped: “The IREX Azerbaijan office states that all their activities have been carried out within the country’s legislation and still continue. And all their activities in the country are closely coordinated with the Republic Commission on International Humanitarian Aid chaired by Ali Hasanov and have been continued through interaction, giving them all necessary information. Moreover, the IREX Azerbaijan office has always respected the requirements of Azerbaijani laws and set up its work in line with the legislation as well as the requirements of the law on approving the contract “On Cooperation Agreement on Facilitation of Aid between the Government of Azerbaijan and the Government of the United States of America” (approved on 18 July 2000)”.

Note that, arrest warrants had also been imposed on the bank accounts of the Oilman Rights Protection Committee (ORPC) chaired by Mirvari Gahramanli, the Legal Enlightenment Society chaired by Intigam Aliyev, the Legal Defense and Education Society chaired by Rasul Jafarov, and the Institute for Reporters Freedom and Safety chaired by Emin Huseynov.

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