In Azerbaijan, NAR Tax Ministry extends audit of human rights NGO

The Ministry of Taxes and Dues of the Nakhichevan Autonomous Republic (NAR), located in Azerbaijan, has extended the audit of the documents of the Regional Resource Centre of Human Rights and Democracy. The employees of the Centre assert that they are pressed on.

"The term of the tax audit expired on February 16, since according to the legislation, the check should be conducted within 30 calendar days. Within this time span we have presented all the necessary documents; however, tax specialists failed to find any violations. Nevertheless, on Monday, February 15, we were told that the check would go on," Malakhat Nasibova, head of the Resource Centre, said in her conversation with the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to her version, in protest against the actions of tax auditors she refused to sign the document on the check extension, which was presented by Fazil Mamedov, an employee of the Ministry.

"For how long should they check us? We aren't a plant or a factory. I think, it's done as a sort of psychological pressure on us," Ms Nasibova said.

According to her story, should local authorities rule to close the Resource Centre, its employees want to sew up their mouths and go on hunger strike.

No comments could be obtained from the NAR Ministry of Taxes and Dues. Fazil Mamedov, who is auditing the Resource Centre, would not answer phone calls. The only telephone number of the Ministry, provided by the call service, is the switchboard - nobody answers there.