Mountaineering Federation Accuses the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Sport

The Mountaineering Federation of Azerbaijan issued a statement in which it said:

The attempts to capture and strangle our Federation by the Federation of Extreme Sports are led by Huseingulu Baghirov, Minister of Ecology, and have already lasted for a long time. After the climbers were not broken, these attempts have acquired a new quality of character. Thus, the Ministry of Environment has been impeding our events and competitions, publishing untrue and defamatory information on us.

Finally, on 25 January this year, the members Fairex, Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Sport held a meeting to announce the creation of some association that unites Fairex and the Federation of mountaineering.

At this meeting, the representative of the Ministry of Youth and Sport suggested combining the two federations under the unified leadership and taking a special solution on this.

Then the they elected members of the Board of the Association of the two federations from 12 people. As Chairman of the Board, they elected Huseingulu Bagirov, Minister of Ecology, as board members - his deputy Firdovsi Aliyev and others - all members of Fairex.

The representative of the Ministry of Sports said that all rights to mountaineering competitions and events are passed to the new Association.

The logic of this event and its legal status is unclear for us and unfounded. Although it is absolutely clear that the Sports Ministry wants to legalize the monopoly of Fairex. However, we were encouraged to enter into this association and recognize the supremacy of Fairex.

We were also told that this offer will be set forth in a formal letter. However, since that day, no Mountaineering Federation, no clubs in its framework have received any official request.

After 25 January, the Ministry of Sport and Youth, together with the Ministry of Environment, in violation of elementary logic, has been trying to get us to be a member of the formal structure created only in order to subdue the Federation of Mountaineering.

In such a situation we want to clearly say, this whole thing is illegal and causes only harm to the Azerbaijani sports.

Mountaineering Federation is one of the oldest in Azerbaijan and operates within the framework of the Constitution, the Law on the sport and on public organizations. Therefore, attempts to capture or subdue it are unacceptable.

Mountaineering Federation is a member of several international organizations, including the UIAA. It has conducted and participated in lots of activities that are meaningful to the country's image, including successful international expeditions, winning prizes at various competitions around the world.

We officially announce that our Federation will not enter in any association, and we do not intend to join it. Attempts to present the case otherwise are a fraud of public opinion and an impact on mountaineering.

We call on the Ministry of Justice to take into account the position of the Mountaineering Federation in the case of the registration of the Association.

We would also like to emphasize that the Ministry of Environment and Sport does not have the right to decide the fate of a social organization. This is contrary to the laws of the sport, the law on NGOs, Administrative and Civil Code of Azerbaijan.

Presidium of the Mountaineering Federation, Climbing Clubs, and Veterans of Climbing signed the statement. -02D