Azerbaijani GPO starts investigation against advocate Gumbatova

The General Directorate for Combating Corruption under the General Prosecutor's Office (GPO) of Azerbaijan has launched an investigation against the advocate Shakhla Gumbatova. Gumbatova herself treats it as unjustified.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on November 28, the Presidium of the Bar Association of Azerbaijan decided to suspend Shakhla Gumbatova's powers. Activists have suggested that they want to remove her from defending the rights of people persecuted for political reasons.

On December 17, Gumbatova was summoned to the above Directorate under the GPO of Azerbaijan. According to her story, the call to the GPO had to do with the request received by the Presidium of the Bar Association of Azerbaijan asking to start an investigation against her.

"The appeal to the GPO is based on the same grounds that had been used to remove me from advocating. But they are senseless for my criminal prosecution and expulsion from the Bar," Shakhla Gumbatova told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

She believes that the suspension of her powers and the Bar's appeal to the GPO aim to punish her for her principled position in defending the interests of her clients and to remove her from further participation in high-profile cases related to the defence of human rights.

This article was originally published on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’ on December 17, 2019 at 11:04 pm MSK. To access the full text of the article, click here.