German Court Delivers Historic Verdict in Azerbaijan Bribery Case

Former German politician Eduard Lintner

In a landmark legal decision, a Munich court has found former German politician Eduard Lintner guilty of accepting bribes from the Azerbaijani government, sentencing him to a nine-month suspended prison term. This marks the first time a German member of parliament has been convicted of such a crime. The verdict is a key development in the wider "Azerbaijani Laundromat" scandal, which exposed a large-scale international lobbying and money laundering scheme.

The court's decision validates arguments from the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office, which accused Lintner, a former member of the Christian Social Union (CSU), of "buying off mandate holders with money." The court determined that payments Lintner made to other politicians were, in fact, bribes.

In addition to the suspended sentence, a confiscation order for 111,330 euros ($127,776 USD) was issued to recoup the profits of the crime. This payment is being sought from the widower of Karin Strenz, a deceased former MP who the court concluded had also received bribes from both Lintner's company and Azerbaijani officials to promote Baku's interests.

The case against Lintner is a direct result of the "Azerbaijani Laundromat," a $2.9 billion money laundering and bribery fund mechanism revealed in 2017 by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP). The investigation alleged that between 2012 and 2014, while the Azerbaijani government was cracking down on journalists and activists, its ruling elite used a secret slush fund to bribe European politicians, acquire luxury goods, and launder money.

Lintner, who served in the Bundestag for 33 years and as a representative to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) until 2010, was implicated in the scheme. He was revealed to have received $1.1 million, which he defended as "legitimate lobbying" for a society fostering German-Azerbaijani relations.

The verdict has been hailed as a significant victory for anti-corruption efforts. Frank Schwabe, a current PACE member, called the ruling "both scary and hopeful," stating that it proves political corruption is now being "prosecuted and punished in Germany."

Transparency International welcomed the decision as "historic," urging other countries implicated in the "Azerbaijani Laundromat" to follow Germany's example and ensure those involved do not escape punishment.

Meanwhile, the case against another former Bundestag member, Axel Fischer, has been postponed due to illness. Cases against two other defendants, a former employee and a relative of Lintner, were dismissed after they confessed.

Azerbaijani officials have consistently rejected the OCCRP investigation, labeling it as biased and unsubstantiated, and claiming it was commissioned by forces envious of the country's success.