Newspaper "Yeni Cumhuriyet" is threatened

 On Wednesday the newspaper "Yeni Cumhuriyet" was subjected to threats for the publication "Crusade on NGOs and about machinations of Azay Guliyev" on 9 December. According to the publication, two persons came to the office, and demanded the removal of the article from the internet version of the newspaper. One of them Shahin Maherramov,  a relative  of the Chairman of the Board of state support to NGOs under the President of Azerbaijan, Azay Guliyev,  almost threatened the chief editor Nasimi Sharafhanly with physical violence. Maharramov said:  "If you do not take off the article, and once again write about our office, we will reply to you in the street; remember ,people whom I kidnapped, are not  found,"  reads the publication.

After this incident, editorial office failed to contact Azay Guliyev. In his article "Crusade for NGOs and about the machinations of Azay Guliyev," referring to an informed source reads about the machinations in the Council for State Support of NGOs that was revealed during the audit. For example, it is reported that 70% of the financial reports of 400 NGOs were prepared by a relative of the Chairman of the Chief Accountant, Tofig Hasanov, who receives for every such financial report AZN 150 per month. It is also reported that the office of the Council is rented for 10,000 AZN in the building that is registered to the name of the son of Ali Hasanov, the head of the political department of the Presidential Administration. "Yeni Cumhuriyet" reported that due to excessive spending and poor financial reporting the Council has tax debts. The article said that the staff of the Council consists of the relatives of Azay Guliyev, as well as staff of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Republic.

"Yeni Cumhuriyet" believes that Azay Guliyev’s activity is aimed at suppressing the independence of NGOs, and he is one of initiators of new restrictive amendments to the law on NGOs, which have been submitted to the parliament recently.