Victims Reported No Claims against Rasul Jafarov

The Baku Court of Grave Crimes today continued the trial against the human rights defender Rasul Jafarov.

At the beginning of the trial the judge Eldar Ismailov suggested Jafarov testify. However, the human rights activist refused, saying that he did not understand the essence of the charges.

The judge said he must declare the evidence by Jafarov to the preliminary investigation.

The judge read the testimony of Jafarov during the interrogation on July 31, 2014

He reported that in December 2010, along with two other activists, he founded the Human Rights Club and headed it. However, in view of the fact that HRC has not been registered by Ministry of Justice, he concluded the grant agreement as an individual.

In particular, for the campaign Art for Democracyin December 2012 Jafarov received financial support from the British Embassy in two thousand manat for the presentation of the project.

He received a grant for 30 thousand USD in 4 tranches from the American NGO NED to monitor the human rights situation and to prepare the videos.

Another $ 2,600 was provided by the Czech organization People in Need for three animated video to educate voters before the presidential election in 2013

Moreover, Jafarov received 15 thousand Euros from the Norwegian organization Freed Ort for drawing contests and the caricatures campaign "Art for the sake of democracy."

The state prosecutor asked why Jafarov did not register the grants.

The human rights activist noted that the legislation did not prescribe registration mechanism for grants received by individuals. At the same time, the Ministry of Justice had no registry of grants received by individuals.

Jafarov also said that after the introduction of changes to legislation prohibiting the implementation of grants by unregistered NGO, projects were implemented through the Community for Legal Protection and Education founded by Elchin Sadigov.

Further, the trial began the victim testimony.

The rapper Anar Jabiyev (Nagylbaz) announced that he participated in the project for the preparation of the clip, calling voters to participate in the presidential elections of 2013.

To compose songs and prepare the clip Jabiyev received 1,720 manat.

During interrogation, he revealed in September that the amount of the fee was 1200 manat. The musician explained it with the fact that it was more than a year before and he could not remember the exact amount.

At the trial he said that he got the entire previously agreed amount and he had not any claims to Jafarov and asked to take off his victim status.

Then the trial was adjourned, after which another victim, Seymour Verdizadeh will speak.

In an interview with Turan, he said that he is not personally familiar with Jafarov.

He was involved in a project as a moderator in the discussion of the film Women of Georgia and received a fee of 150 manat.

* Jafarov was arrested on 2 August 2014 on charges of illegal business, tax evasion and abuse of office. Subsequently, he was also charged with misappropriation and official forgery.

He denies all the charges and connects them with his human rights activities.

Amnesty International has recognized Jafarov "prisoner of conscience". -06B-