More than 50 leading NGOs in Azerbaijan made statements in advance of the proposed reactionary amendments to legislation designed to limit the activities of civil society.
"Recently, the Azerbaijani authorities have consistently pursued anti-democratic steps to tighten laws on freedom of association, assembly and expression. Bans on freedom of assembly, the use of large fines for taking part in the rallies, mass arrests, the creation of artificial barriers to the work of NGOs not only in the regions, but also in Baku are the links in the chain of systematic attack on the civilian society," reads the statement NGOs received by Turan.
The authors of the statement call on the authorities to refrain from tightening controls over civil society. They also call on international organizations and diplomatic missions to promote dialogue between government and civil society.
On Wednesday, a parliamentary committee on legal policy approved amendments to the legislation establishing penalties from 500 to 15,000 manat for not providing information about the NGO grant agreement, receipt of donations and other aid without the grant agreements, donations received in cash. The funds, which are objects of the offense, will be confiscated.
Civil society activists point out that because some NGOs are not registered, those NGOs cannot legally enter into grant agreements. In addition, some donors from abroad have contracts in electronic form, and Azeri notaries do not register them. Besides, donors often make small donations in cash. In view of these objective reasons, it is unfair to penalize NGOs, which is equivalent to their actual elimination.–06D--
Politics
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