Trial in the case of Anar Mammadov

Trial in the case of Anar Mammadov,  the head of the Election Monitoring and Democratic Studies center (EMDSC), executive director of the NGO, Suleymanli Bashir, and the head of the Public Association for International Cooperation of Volunteers, Elnur Mammadov, continues in the  Baku Serious Crimes Court. They are all charged under the Criminal Code 5 - tax evasion, illegal business, abuse of office, embezzlement on a large scale, and official forgery.

A lawsuit was opened in the end of October 2013. On December 17  Mammedli was taken into custody and two others are under house arrest. On May 8 witnesses were heard at the trial. Mubariz Diniyev , who worked as an accountant in both NGOs reported that  he  in time submitted financial reports to the tax authorities and donors.

Responding to questions from lawyers, he said that the grants, according to the law, are exempted from VAT. According to investigators, the defendants misappropriated 109,000 manats from the grant in the amount of 128,000 manat, provided by the U.S. National Democratic Institute, and another 19,000 dollars hid from VAT. "It turns out that nothing has been fulfilled within the project?" Answering this rhetorical question of the lawyer the witness replied that real works and services were paid  within the frameworks.   Other witnesses also confirmed that they received money for fulfilled works,  and have no claims against the defendants. The next hearing is scheduled for  May 12 at 10:30 am. Anar Mammadov  has been recognized by  Amnesty International «prisoner of conscience.»-06C-