Council of Europe Urged to Investigate Azerbaijani Bribes

February 3, 2017

Azerbaijani Minister for Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov (left) talks about the priorities his country will have during its six-month chairmanship of the Council of Europe in Vienna on May 6. Amid criticism of his country on liberties issues, Mammadyarov vowed to show "strong support" for human rights by making it one of the pillars of the chairmanship. (Photo: Council of Europe/Sandro Weltin)

Azerbaijani Minister for Foreign Affairs Elmar Mammadyarov (left) speaking during Council of Europe session in Vienna on May 6, 2014 (Photo: Council of Europe/Sandro Weltin)

STRASBOURG, France (The Guardian)””The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has been accused of turning a blind eye to corruption, after allegations that a former senior member was paid €2.39m to engineer votes to protect the kleptocratic regime of Azerbaijan’s president, Ilham Aliyev.

Pieter Omtzigt, a centre-right Dutch parliamentarian, is urging PACE leaders to launch a “deep, thorough investigation by an independent panel”