Transparency International welcomes historic conviction in German court in Azerbaijani Laundromat bribery scheme
Leading anti-corruption NGO Transparency International welcomes today’s conviction by the Higher Regional Court of Munich of former German Bundestag member Eduard Lintner in the Azerbaijani Laundromat case. This is a historic first step in holding a European politician to account for their role in this massive cross-border bribery and reputation-laundering scheme.
Lintner was found guilty over his role in the case, as part of which European politicians took bribes to promote the Azerbaijani regime’s interests and silence criticism in the Council of Europe – all while human rights activists and political prisoners sat behind bars in Baku.
Margarete Bause, Deputy Chair of Transparency International Germany, said:
“When elected officials are corrupted by authoritarian states, it threatens our entire democratic system. The fact that one of those involved in the Azerbaijani Laundromat scheme has now been held accountable is an important step forward for the protection and integrity of our democratic institutions. It is worrying that it has taken over a decade to get to this point. Politicians and justice institutions must now draw the necessary conclusions.”
Maíra Martini, CEO of Transparency International, said:
“Today’s verdict shows that justice is possible, even in complex transnational corruption cases. Authorities in other countries linked to the Azerbaijani Laundromat scheme should follow Germany’s example and take action to ensure that those who took bribes and helped whitewash repression do not escape scrutiny. This case was never just about bribery; it’s also about safeguarding the integrity of democratic institutions.”
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Notes to editors
Transparency International and Transparency International Germany have been tracking developments in the case following the 2016 Caviar Diplomacy reports and the 2017 Azerbaijani Laundromat investigations.
In March 2019, Transparency Germany filed criminal complaints against Eduard Lintner and now-deceased former member of Bundestag Karin Strenz for bribery and corruption of public officials as part of the Azerbaijani Laundromat scandal. The Rostock public prosecutor decided in May 2019 not to launch an investigation. However, in a welcome step, the public prosecutor's office in Frankfurt am Main announced their own investigation into corruption allegations against these individuals in January 2020.
In March 2021, it was reported that prosecutors were also looking into the role of yet another parliamentarian, Axel Fischer. The proceedings against Fischer were recently separated from the main proceedings due to delays caused by his illness. If the proceedings are not concluded in the following year, the case will be subject to the statute of limitations.
More information: As the Azerbaijani Laundromat scandal reaches German court, will there finally be some accountability?
