Natig Jafarli Banned from Leaving Country

Baku / 09.28.19 / Turan: Ban on leaving the country by Natig Jafarli, Executive Secretary of the Republican Alternative Party (ReAl), has been introduced.

This decision, initiated by the Ministry of Taxes, was adopted by the Sabail district court on September 19th. The case was examined without notice to Jafarli himself. He learned about the trial only on September 28 from the letter he received.

"The Ministry of Taxes has filed a lawsuit with the statement that I have allegedly accumulated a debt of AZN 2,072 ($ 1,200) since 2014. Although, in 2016, a few months before my arrest, the Ministry of Taxes checked my activities and gave me a certificate of absence of debts. Later I was arrested and retroactively credited with duty. A month later, they released me, and then the case was closed and I submitted the corresponding document to the department of the Ministry of Taxes," Jafarli told Turan.

According to the politician, this step against him could have been caused by the discontent of certain forces in power with his active participation and recent critical speeches at international events.

"Perhaps that"s why they, without informing me, hastily held a trial and made a decision," Jafarli said.

He did not rule out the likelihood of his arrest.

"The attributed tax debt exceeds 2,000 manat. And this stipulates according to the legislation, along with a fine, a punishment in the form of imprisonment," Jafarli said.

He said that he would appeal the decision in the coming days.

It was not possible to get comments from the Ministry of Taxes or the Prosecutor General.

Natig Jafarli was arrested on August 13 for 4 months in connection with allegations of illegal business, embezzlement and tax evasion.

ReAl denied the allegations and called them politically motivated. A month later, Jafarli was released from custody, and in August 2017 the case was closed. -21B-