HCA office in Baku faces threat of closure

The Committee to Protect Civil Society held a regular meeting on Thursday, which reviewed the lists of political prisoners. As a result, the names of Thale Hasmamedov and Mubariz Abdullayev onto the list, said the meeting participant Elshan Hasanov.

Civil society representatives also condemned the persecution of civil society activists, which have increased in recent years. As an example, were mentioned endless summons  to the prosecutor office  the activist Aynur Imranova and search in  the office of the Center for Economic Research Gubad Ibadoglu.

Another topic of discussion was the fate of the office of the National Committee of the Helsinki Citizens Assembly, which can be closed. Despite the support of individual donors, after the reactionary amendments to the law on NGOs, the Helsinki Citizens Assembly cannot receive foreign grants and maintain an office.

* Committee for Civil Society was created in 2009 when the first wave of reactionary amendments to the legislation began, and which has complicated the work of NGOs. Then the Committee included about 100 independent NGOs.

Because of the many NGOs prosecutions and arrests of their leaders, today in jail are  about 20 activists. -05C06-