Former Members of Germany’s Bundestag Accused of Accepting Bribes from Azerbaijan
Former members of Germany’s Bundestag, Axel Fischer and Eduard Lintner, are accused of accepting bribes from the Azerbaijani government to influence decisions in Azerbaijan’s favor at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). Axel Fischer is accused of receiving large sums as bribes between 2014 and 2016, while Eduard Lintner is accused of bribing officials. The latter is also charged with leaking confidential documents.
This case is widely known as the “Azerbaijan Affair.” The accusations were filed after Hungarian and German authorities began investigating their ties with Baku. Reports indicate that they received large payments in Germany to promote Azerbaijani interests, presented as “lobbying fees,” which were later revealed to be bribes.
The trial is set to begin on January 16 in Munich’s court. A total of 30 sessions are planned. The proceedings are expected to conclude on April 25.