Not-registration NGOs is of a political nature

Roundtable held at the International Press Center was dedicated to the problems of unregistered NGOs. The discussion was organized with the project: "Organization of judicial protection of unregistered NGOs", implemented with the support of the U.S. Embassy.

According to the head of the NGO "Democratic Institutions and Human Rights" in Azerbaijan Elchin Abdullah, about 2,000 NGOs are not registered. However, this is not a legal, but a political issue, he said.

Ministry of Justice, as a rule, does not register the NGOs dealing with human rights, democracy, elections, etc. About 200 NGOs have filed a lawsuit against the Ministry of Justice. Fifty statements are under consideration, another 50 NGOs in the first instance courts were refused.  Thirteen cases are pending in the Baku Administrative Economic Court No. 1, 15 - in the Baku Court of Appeal, 15 - in the Supreme Court.

Two cases were sent to the European Court of Human Rights; and an additional eight will be sent to Strasbourg in the near future.

Economist Gubad Ibadoglu said that in Azerbaijan per every 100 people three NGOs were registered, in Georgia - 22-23, and in Europe - over 50.

Participants in the discussion regarded the refusal to register the NGO as fear of the government of civil initiatives.

A Council of Alternative Social Organizations, which will include unregistered NGOs. The meeting participants decided to appeal to President Ilham Aliyev to address problems with the registration of NGOs.  —05C06--