The Nasimi and Sabail district courts arrested bank accounts of the known economic expert Gubad Ibadoglu and the Center for Civic Initiatives (CCI) led by him. Last week Ibadoglu himself was questioned as a witness in the Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General for Serious Crimes in the case against local and foreign NGOs. Ibadoglu himself explained it as a link in the chain to put pressure on civil society in Azerbaijan. At the same time, he pointed out that President Ilham Aliyev, speaking on August 28 before the youth in Beylagan, actually recognized that NGOs working with foreign donors are enemies. Within this campaign have already been arrested a number of activists, said Ibadoglu, not excluding his own arrest. He stressed that he does not intends to leave the country. "But I do not intend to remain silent, and I'm going to start the discussion of what is happening. All this increases the risk of my arrest," said Ibadoglu.
"There is a big criminal case, and it soon will be sent to the court. Probably the court will rule a punishment for some international donors and local NGOs. In the meantime, the investigation extends the range of interrogation to justify already carried out arrests and other punitive measures," said Ibadoglu.
However, he noted that his bank accounts were frozen, without courts, without notice. The arrest of accounts without cause is contrary to the international obligations of Azerbaijan, said the expert.
He stressed that all grants of his organization have been registered in the Ministry of Justice. He and his NGO paid taxes and reporting.
"The accounting system of our organization meets international standards. Over the past five years, we have paid into the state budget and the Social Welfare Fund 100,000 manat in the form of taxes and compulsory social insurance payments," said Ibadoglu. He intends to appeal the decision to freeze bank accounts.
Referring to the arrest of accounts of other local and foreign NGOs, Ibadoglu noted that Azerbaijani President in his speech in Beylagan said that is knows where the funds come from to the accounts of NGOs and how they re spent.
"The Financial Monitoring Service has been working for a long time, and the authorities are aware of any delivery or transfer. However, referring to inflated numbers, the authorities are trying to form an opinion that the alleged European and American donors give NGOs millions to make a revolution by the order of anti-Azerbaijani forces. In fact, the NGOs do not have such funds and not have the resources to carry out a revolution. All this is nonsense and fiction. But unfortunately, these allegations appear then the investigation materials," said the expert. For today the accounts of 20 NGOs have been arrested, and accounts of other 20 organizations are locked," said Ibadoglu. -03B06-
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