Baku: A criminal case has been initiated concerning several non-governmental organizations operating in Azerbaijan, APA reports. The Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office has launched the case under Articles 192.2.2, 213.1, 308.2, and other provisions of the Criminal Code, with an initial investigation currently underway.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the investigation focuses on violations of the law found in the activities of several NGOs in Azerbaijan, targeting their leaders and the branches and representations of foreign NGOs. The case highlights the illegal grant funds provided by some international organizations to individuals such as Bashir Suleymanli, Subhan Hasanli, and Mammad Mammadzade (Mammad Alpay). These funds were not registered with relevant authorities and were disguised as service contracts, contrary to national legislation.

In 2020-2021, Suleymanli and Alpay allegedly entered into unregistered contracts with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, while Hasanli engaged with the U.S. “FH1360” humanitarian organization and the Institute for War and Peace Reporting, receiving service fees as a cover for grants. These funds were supposedly used to support ideologies like “No war,” “LGBT,” and “ultra-liberal” stances, and counter-propaganda against national values, challenging Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

On the previous day, Alpay and Suleymanli faced charges under Articles 193-1.3.2, 308.2, and 313, with the Binagadi District Court applying a detention measure against them. Hasanli, also charged under Articles 193-1.2.3, 308.2, and 313, fled the investigation and is currently in hiding, prompting a search warrant and arrest order by the court.

APA also reports that the investigation extends beyond the NGOs and their leaders to include organizations and banks that facilitated money laundering, with efforts to hold responsible individuals, including bank employees, accountable.