Traitors should be held accountable to the law

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: At present, I’m chairman of the youth movement “Yeni fakir.” The movement was set up in 2004.I’m founder of the organization.

INVESTIGATOR: What are financial sources of “Yeni fikir” activities?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: First of all, these are friends. I’d like to note that grants and projects being allocated by a donor organization are not spent for organization activities. They are largely used to intensify youth movement in the regions.

INVESTIGATOR: Where did you hold your last meetings? Why was the conference held? Who invited you? Who took part in the conference? What can you tell about it?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: Our last meeting was held in Tbilisi. I attended the meeting.

INVESTIGATOR: Who offered you to go there? With whom and when did you leave Baku?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: The meeting was arranged by “World and New Planet” organization. I attended the meeting personally.

INVESTIGATOR: Where is this organization located? Who runs it?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: Someone by the name Merabi Jibutia. In his words, he has for long time been involved in the democratic movement of Georgia. I took part in the event. It was held at “Metro” hotel and dealt with “Democracy without Borders.”

INVESTIGATOR: When did you leave Baku?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: On 28 July.

INVESTIGATOR: How?
 
RUSLAN BASHIRLY: I left on 27 July evening by train, and on 28 July morning I arrived in Tbilisi. Merabi and friends came to meet me. The event was attended Georgian NGOs as well.

INVESTIGATOR: What organizations took part in the event?

RUSLAN BASHIROV: I do not remember specific organizations.

INVESTIGATOR: What countries did they represent?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: Germany, Georgia and Armenia.

OSMAN ALIMURADOV: I’m member of the youth movement “Yeni fikir” since 2004, i.e. from 4 April 2004. The organization is located in the building where the Party of People’s Front of Azerbaijan is headquartered, Khagani str.33, Baku. Main purpose of the organization is to attract students from higher and secondary special educational institutions, close their ranks, arrange meetings and overthrow power forcibly.
In September 2004 when I was at the PPFA headquarters Ruslan Bashirov came up to me and declared that he as chairman of “Yeni fikir” he was ready to admit me to the organization. We went to his office, where he registered my name, carried out other formalities and appointed me a head of sporting department in considering that I’m sportsman.

INVESTIGATOR: What were you responsible for?

Osman Alimuradov: My main duty was to attract sportsmen, organize courses on physical training, draw sportsmen in meetings, apply force against police and state bodies and finally remove this power.
The most active members of the organization were Said Nuriyev and certain Ramin who dealt with organizational matters. Also, deputy chairman of the PPFA Fuad Mustafayev and Said Nuriyev intended to go to Poland. As for me and Ruslan Bashirly, we planned to go to Georgia.

INVESTIGATOR: Representatives of what countries attended the conference?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: Germany, Georgia…

INVESTIGATOR: Total number of participants?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: About 100.

INVESTIGATOR: Where was the conference held?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: AT “Metro”hotel.

INVESTIGATOR: What was the subject of your speech?

RUSLAN BASHIROV: I touched upon the pre-election situation in Azerbaijan.

INVESTIGATOR: Who spoke at the conference?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: Representatives of Georgia, organization “Kumara,” Germany.

INVESTIGATOR: Did Ruslan Bashirly really speak at the conference in Tbilisi? Was the said conference ever held with the participation of NGO representatives from Germany and other countries? What conference was to be held there?

OSMAN ALIMURADOV: “Democracy without Borders.”

INVESTIGATOR: Did he attend the conference or speak at it?

OSMAN ALIMURADOV: We were invited to attend the conference titled “Democracy without Borders.” However, no conference took place. There were no German representatives, nor people from abroad. There were Georgian Merabi and Armenians only.

INVESTIGATOR: I’d like to show you an article in “Azadlyg” of 2 August 2005 titled “Ruslan Bashirly held important meetings in Georgia.” The article said that chairman of “Yeni fikir” had allegedly spoken at the regional conference in Georgia, touching upon democratization problems in Azerbaijan. If there had not been any conference at all, what goal did you pursue when published such an article?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: I went to Georgia to take part in the event. So it was natural for me to return home saying that the conference did take place and I took part in its work.

INVESTIGATOR: You should not have told lies. Why did you misinform mass media as saying that you attended the conference, spoke there and even met with senior officials? 

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: There was no conference. A month ago, our movement went on hunger strike due to the dismissal of Namik Feyziyev from the institute. International organizations showed interest in this action. A certain Merabi Jibutia came from Georgia. He visited participants of the strike as saying that he was a leader of a Georgian NGO. He insisted that he was a member of Saakashvili’s team. He promised to organize our trip to Georgia and help us.

INVESTIGATOR: Where did you meet with him?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: At a tea-house near Nizami cinema theater.   

OSMAN ALIMURADOV: We introduced him to chairman of the PPFA Ali Kerimly, and Merabi had a 50-60 minutes talks with him.

INVESTIGATOR: Have you maintained contacts with Merabi?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: Yes, he E-mailed me twice and phoned.

OSMAN ALIMURADOV: After his departure he phoned Ruslan and spoke to him. It was me or Said who interpreted the conversation, since Ruslan is not proficient in Russian.

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: We arrived in Tbilisi. Merabi, his driver and body-guard met us. He brought us to “Metro” hotel, in an hour Merabi came back and took us to the restaurant.

OSMAN ALIMURADOV: Ruslan Bashirly explained those present that he was a leader of the biggest youth movement of Azerbaijan. Our goal was to fortify ranks and discharge the authorities. There was also a certain Vardan who raised his glass to the triumph of democracy.

INVESTIGATOR: What did they want from you?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: Merabi asked me to give him my passport for allegedly for registration. I declined from giving my passport to him as saying that I was going to return to Baku this evening. No meeting took place.

OSMAN ALIMURADOV: Then Merabi came to the hotel and asked us to give him our passports allegedly for legalization of a grant. He took our passports and said he would return in several hours. He returned but without our passports. He explained the delay that there were no officials to register us, so I’ll give them back to you tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. However, I insisted that we need passports now. Merabi said something in Georgian to his driver; he went away and returned in 20-30 minutes with our passports.

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: Merabi suggested us to go and see his office. We agreed.

OSMAN ALIMURADOV: On 29 July at 12-13 p.m. Merabi’s driver and the bodyguard arrived as saying that Merabi had a meeting at the Presidential apparatus. In 30-40 minutes Merabi came together with a tall, stout man. In Merabi’s words, this was a businessman. Finally, we went to the office.

INVESTIGATOR: What was his name?

OSMAN ALIMURADOV: George. Then we went to the office.

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: Merabi said I’d like to do you a friendly service. I know that your wedding is approaching. So I’d like to help with your wedding, on the one had, and develop democracy in your country, on the other hand. I said nothing. When we entered the room, George took money out of his pocket and gave it to Osman as saying they are designed for democracy development. Osman gave money to me.

OSMAN ALIMURADOV:  He gave $2,000 to Ruslan and demanded a receipt from him. Ruslan signed the receipt, which said that $2,000 had been given to the youth movement “Yeni fakir.”

INVESTIGATOR: What else did they say?

OSMAN ALIMURADOV: George added that in 12-15 days I will give another $20,000 or more. Your organization, he stressed, will be receiving $2,000 monthly. If necessary, we can provide you with weapons and ammunition arrange provocations, violate cease-fire regime in Nagorno Karabakh. Also, the Armenian party may arrange a mutiny against Aliyev’s regime. We are in position to do all that. We want you to come to power and create all necessary conditions for us to do business in oil area. Ruslan Bashirly promised him to comply with all his requests. Also, Bashirly added he would inform Kerimly about these $2,000, as well as about $20,000 to be received later. I’ll invite you to Baku and introduce you to him.

XXX

OSMAN ALIMURADOV: I told Ruslan that George seems to be an Armenian, so I do not like these talks.
Then they invited Ruslan Bashirly and me to sauna. They repeated that we must overthrow the current power forcibly.


INVESTIGATOR: What mutiny or revolution did they hint at?


OSMAN ALIMURADOV: The point was about the Parliamentary elections. Ruslan said that the elections would be held on 6 November and on 7-8 November we would come to power i.e., the “orange revolution.”

XXX

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: Then we had dinner. After dinner Merabi suggested to have a rest, and we went to sauna.

OSMAN ALIMURADOV: There were frivolous women in sauna. I refused from them, since I’m married. I sat in the courtyard and drank a cup of tea together with George and Merabi. Ruslan entered a room with one of these women. A certain Vardan came up to us and said that all our last talks had been recorded and that we should collaborate with him. In doing so, he produced us his identification card as saying that he was an officer of Armenian special services. If you decline from collaborating with us, we shall convey a video-cassette to whom it may concern.
When Ruslan came up, I told him we must urgently return home. Next day, we arrived in Baku. I  looked through the cassette and was horrified. Ruslan said he would give $1000 to Kerimly, $500 to me. He reassured me as saying that he had already informed Kerimly about the incident.
I could not fall asleep at night. I remembered that my brother fought against Armenians in the Karabakh front, was wounded and now he is footless. I could not endure this, and on 3 August 2005 I lodged an official statement to the Prosecutor’s Office of the Azerbaijan Republic. Attached are the cassette and $500.

INVESTIGATOR: Did they promise you more money?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: Yes.

INVESTIGATOR: How much and for what purpose?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: They said they would convey us another $20,000 in 10-15 days.

INVESTIGATOR: Who must take money?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: We.

INVESTIGATOR: Did they get in touch with you?

RUSLAN BASHIRLY: They phoned yesterday. One of our fellows had talks with them and they told him to arrive and take $33,000.

I’d like to add that toasts were proposed in Tbilisi to the Azerbaijani and Georgian peoples. They also raised their glasses to the Armenian people, but I did not join them.