Azerbaijani watchdog chief, associates jailed
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 26 May 2014 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Azerbaijani watchdog chief, associates jailed, 26 May 2014, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/53a13a6810.html [accessed 27 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
May 26, 2014
By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service
Anar Mammadli
The head of an election watchdog in Azerbaijan, Anar Mammadli, and his two associates have been sentenced to jail for tax evasion, illegal business activities, and using their office to falsify election results.
On May 26, Mammadli, the chairman of the Election Monitoring and Democracy Studies Center, was sentenced to five and-a-half years in prison.
The center's executive director, Basir Suleymanli, received a three and-a-half year prison term.
The director of the Union for International Cooperation of Volunteers, Elnur Mammadov, received a suspended two-year sentence.
Mammadli's organization monitored elections in Azerbaijan last autumn and exposed widespread irregularities and fraud during balloting and vote counting.
Mammadli's supporters say the charges against him and his associates are politically motivated.
Earlier, the OSCE, the EU and U.S. officials expressed concerns over Mammadli's arrest in December.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
