A criminal case was initiated and preliminary investigation was conducted at the Main Department for Combating Corruption under the Prosecutor General regarding the illegal actions of officials of non-governmental organizations operating in the territory of Azerbaijan.
According to the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office, as a result of the preliminary investigation, it was established with reasonable suspicion that Mehdi Mehdiyev, chairman of the Public Association "Azerbaijan Karabakh War Disabled, Veterans and Families of Martyrs", Fuzuli Rzaguliyev, chairman of the Public Association "Azerbaijan War Veterans", and Sarraf Orucov, president of the "International Disabled Soldiers" Fund, presented medals and badges of various names they established to numerous individuals for money and personal relationships, despite not having the authority to do so. This action created a false impression and confusion in society regarding the orders and medals awarded to citizens by state bodies for their relevant services.
Thus, despite the fact that legislation, including the Law "On the Establishment of Orders and Medals of the Republic of Azerbaijan," stipulates that orders and medals are state awards granted to citizens for special services, and other normative-legal acts prohibit the establishment of orders and medals (including any use of the term order or medal) as a type of award, and the Law "On Non-Governmental Organizations (Public Associations and Funds)" prohibits the appropriation of powers of state and local self-government bodies in the charters of NGOs, these requirements were grossly violated by these officials.
Based on the collected evidence, Mehdi Mehdiyev, Fuzuli Rzaguliyev, and Sarraf Orucov were charged as accused persons under Article 309.1 (exceeding official powers) of the Criminal Code, and a preventive measure in the form of police supervision was chosen against them by the decision of the investigative body. The preliminary investigation in the case has been completed and sent to the relevant courts for review.
Furthermore, according to the Law "On Non-Governmental Organizations (Public Associations and Funds)," public associations are required to maintain a register of their members within 30 days of state registration. However, the Public Associations "Care for Karabakh Disabled," "Protection of Families of Martyrs, Disabled, and War Veterans," "Organization of War, Labor, and Armed Forces Veterans of the Republic of Azerbaijan," "Stability and Development Center," and the "Dede Gorgud" Charity Fund violated the requirements of the legislation by not maintaining a register of their members and not operating in accordance with their charters.
Regarding these facts, proceedings on administrative offenses have been initiated against the relevant organizations and their leaders under Article 579 (violation of legislation on non-governmental organizations) of the Code of Administrative Offenses in the Department for Non-Criminal Proceedings of the Prosecutor General's Office, and sent to the relevant courts and the Ministry of Justice for review.
At the same time, an appeal has been made to the Ministry of Justice to take appropriate measures to ensure the registration of NGOs (public associations and funds), their operation in accordance with relevant directions, and the consideration of the legally protected interests of society and the state when reviewing applications from these organizations. This includes verifying whether the charters of organizations applying for new registration and those previously registered comply with the legislation, and to strengthen oversight in this area.