Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec.20
By Ilkin Izzet - Trend:
Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan issued a statement on Dec.20 in connection with the statements of international organizations on Anar Mammali's arrest.
The interference in Azerbaijan's internal affairs is unacceptable, and these statements are regarded as pressure on bodies of the prosecutor's office, according to the statement of the Prosecutor General's Office.
"As it was reported, a criminal case has been initiated in Prosecutor General's Office of Azerbaijan on the materials received from the Ministry of Taxes and Finance of Azerbaijan, about the illegal business activities of the officials of the Centre for Monitoring Elections and Democracy Training (CMEDT) and the Public Association for International Cooperation of Volunteers, making a large profit through abuse of office powers and tax evasion. Co-founder and chairman of Centre for Monitoring Elections and Democracy Training Anar Mammadli was sentenced to pre-trial detention on suspicion of violation of articles 192.2.2, 213.1 and 308.2 of Azerbaijan's Criminal Code," the statement of Prosecutor General's Office said.
But some international organizations and their representatives based on fictitious conclusions and political positions stated that the charges against Anar Mammadli are groundless and demanded his immediate release, Prosecutor General's Office said.
"The interference in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan, which is building a state governed by the rule of law and conducts independent domestic and foreign policy, is unacceptable, and we regard these demands, which have no any legal basis, as pressure on the bodies of judicial authority of Azerbaijan, as well as on the bodies of the prosecutor's office," according to the statement.
The charges against Mammadli, are based not on his political activities, as claimed by some international organizations, but on the materials and evidence collected and submitted to the Prosecutor General's Office by the special auditing office of Taxes Ministry's Tax Audit Department, State Financial Control Service of the Finance Ministry and Council of State Support for NGOs, according to the statement of Prosecutor General's Office.
Since the bringing of charges against Mammadli, his right of defense and other rights have been provided in accordance with the requirements of the criminal procedure legislation and all investigative actions, without exception, were conducted in the presence of lawyers. Currently, four lawyers are defending his rights.
"Department for Grave Crimes under the Prosecutor General's Office has carried out comprehensive and objective investigation ensuring the rule of law and in accordance with the requirements of the criminal procedure legislation. There will be adopted a decision on this criminal case in accordance with the law," according to the statement.
Translated by L.Z.
Edited by C.N.