The prosecutor’s office does not want to release journalist S. Chobanoglu from the country

Baku/13.01.20/Turan: Journalist Shahvalad Chobanoglu for the sixth year is not allowed to travel abroad due to a ban imposed by the prosecutor’s office.

The journalist and his lawyer Zibeyda Sadigova once again appealed to the head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General Eldar Ahmedov with an appeal to lift the ban.

However, they again received a formal reply that their appeal was “attached to the materials of the criminal case under investigation No. 142006023 and they will be provided with information on the results”.

“Each time we get the same answer. I understand that this is just a template for unsubscribing,” the journalist said.

He noted that he also appealed to the court, but in vain. “This is an open restriction and violation of my rights,” Chobanoglu noted.

Because of this ban, he was forced to interrupt treatment started abroad in 2014. He also cannot go abroad on his personal affairs to resolve issues related to the education of his children.

The investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova and many other civil society activists have  similar problems.

Prosecutor’s Office filed a lawsuit number  142006023 against 40 independent NGOs, which were accused of economic crimes, illegal grants, fraud, etc. Many leaders of these NGOs were arrested and convicted, sanctions were imposed against others, bank accounts were arrested, etc.— 06D-