Baku, 23th May 2014

On 21^st May at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, the state prosecutor requested 9 years prison sentence for Anar Mammadli, chairman of EMDS (Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Centre) and EPDE board member, 8 years 6 months for his deputy Bashir Suleymanli and 8 years 6 months for Elnur Mammadov, Director ICV. Anar Mammadli and Bashir Suleymanli face charges under Articles 179.3.2 (appropriation in significant size), 192.2.2 (illegal entrepreneurship by an organized group), 213.1 (tax evasion), 308.2 (abuse of official authority with grave consequences) and 313 (service forgery) of the Criminal Code. Elnur Mammadov, in addition to the same set of charges, also accused of committing crimes under the 3 clauses of the Article 179 (same acts committed repeatedly, by a person with use of service position and with causing of damage in significant size).

EPDE and its member organization EMDS consider the request of the prosecution groundless and unjust, and demand the court to discontinue the criminal case against Anar Mammadli, Bashir Suleymanli and Elnur Mammadov. This trial is a reaction to EMDS’ critical assessment of the Presidential elections in October 2013, an attempt to destroy independent and critical citizens’ election observation in Azerbaijan and a proof of political discrimination that dominates the judicial system of Azerbaijan.

The Republic of Azerbaijan has just taken the chairmanship of the council of ministers of the Council of Europe. We appeal to all member states of the Council of Europe to protest this unacceptable violation of the European Convention of Human Rights.

Anar Mammadli is in pre-trial detention since 16 December.  Amnesty International Organization considers Anar Mammadli to be a prisoner of conscience.

Next court hearing is scheduled for 26th May, 10.30 am at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes.

Read the statement of EPDE member EMDS here: