"Currently, admission to membership has been suspended since the end of last year. However, the documents of those who applied at an earlier date are being reviewed. There are both rejected and accepted applicants. The work of the Admissions Committee has been suspended until the AYB congress to be held in 2027. The reason is the high number of applications".
These words were stated by Xəyal Rza, Press Secretary of the Azerbaijan Writers' Union, in a statement to Modern.az.
He noted that those who do not pay their membership fees may be expelled from the Union in accordance with the instructions, but the organization has always maintained a humanist stance on this issue:
“Currently, the Azerbaijan Writers' Union has over 2500 members. An annual membership fee of 15 manats has been set for each member. Information regarding the amount collected from membership fees for any period is held by the finance department. It is not within my authority to report on this. There were those who did not pay their annual membership fees since the 1990s. I cannot disclose the exact amount, but it was a significant sum. All debts up to 2020 were written off. Five years have passed, and there are still those who have not paid. Anyone who does not pay the 15 manats, therefore, does not respect the organization's charter. A final decision regarding non-payers will be made this year, on February 1st. A grace period has been granted until then".
He also responded to criticisms regarding the presence of deceased individuals among those who have not paid their membership fees.
"If a writer on our list passes away, they remain registered as a 'deceased member'. As for our records regarding the deceased, their family members should provide the information. How are we to know who passed away and when? For example, Amin Avey passed away in Germany in 2020 during the pandemic. His name remaining on the list was due to a technical error. This was portrayed differently in the press".
Finally, Xəyal Rza noted that no increase in the amount of the Union's membership fee is expected.
