Corruption

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Nazim Baydamirli. Image via Wikipedia Commons.

Azerbaijan

Former Azerbaijani MP sentenced to eight years in prison for extortion

by Aytan Farhadova

•2 min read

Former Azerbaijani MP and businessman Nazim Baydamirli has been sentenced to eight years in prison by the Baku Grave Crimes Court on charges of extortion. Baydamirli was sentenced on 30 September, following over a year spent in pre-trial detention. His lawyer, Agil Layij, told Meydan TV that the charges against his client were unfounded. Likewise, Baydamirli’s wife, Farida Baydamirli, told OC Media that his arrest was absurd. She said that the family never expected such a thing would

Bidzina Ivanishvili

Georgian Dream denies allegations that Ivanishvili’s wife owns Russian real estate

by OC Media

•2 min read

A report by the Organized Crime Reporting Project (OCCRP) has alleged that Ekaterina Khvedelidze, the wife of Georgian Dream founder Bidzina Ivanishvili, possesses three undisclosed plots of land in Moscow, one bought as recently as this year. The joint investigation by OCCRP, iStories, GMC, Studio Monitori, and iFact found that the three plots of land were recently purchased as an expansion to three other adjacent plots Ivanishvili’s family acquired prior to 2012. This included a house that w

Armenia

Former Armenian police chief released despite being found guilty of abuse of power

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•1 min read

Former chief of the Armenian police, Vladimir Gasparyan, and three other former police officials have been found guilty of abuse of power, forgery, and embezzlement by Armenia’s anti-corruption court, but have been released after amnesties were applied to all four. On Tuesday, the court found Gasparyan, his deputy Levon Yeranosyan, and two other former police officials guilty. Vladimir Gasparyan was found guilty in two cases, but exempted from serving the sentence for one on the basis of th

Armenia

US court seizes LA mansion of family of former Armenian finance minister

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•2 min read

A US Court has seized a California mansion belonging to the family of a former Armenian finance minister, ruling it was purchased with funds of criminal origin. The mansion in Los Angeles belongs to Gurge and Artyom Khachatryan, the sons of former Minister of Finance Gagik Khachatryan. On Monday, the Armenian General Prosecutor’s office announced that negotiations between Armenia and the US were underway on the return of the lion’s share of the proceeds from the house’s sale to Armenia. I

Tigran Avinyan, Yerevan Mayor (left) and Aram Azatyan, the head of Arabkir Municipality Administration (right). Image: Municipality Administration.

Armenia

Arrests of local officials follow Yerevan raids

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•1 min read

Eight people including the head of Yerevan’s Arabkir Municipality Administration have been arrested following raids in the Armenian capital on Wednesday. On Thursday, a spokesperson for the National Anti-Corruption Court confirmed to CivilNet that those arrested included the head of the Arabkir Administrative District, Aram Azatyan, as well as his two deputies. Azatyan was reportedly released to house arrest for two months on ֏30 million ($77,000) bail. According to the Investigative Commit

Armenia

Ex-president Serzh Sargsyan acquitted in embezzlement case

by Arshaluys Barseghyan

•1 min read

Armenia’s third president, Serzh Sargsyan, has been acquitted of embezzling more than ֏489 million ($1.3 million) from the state in 2013. Sargsyan, who was forced to step down following the 2018 revolution, was charged in late 2019 and put on trial in early 2020. He denied the charges while his party, the Republican Party, decried them as politically motivated. Even if found guilty, Sargsyan would not have faced imprisonment because of an expiring statute of limitations. ‘It’s not like

Azerbaijan

US congressperson accused of accepting $360,000 in Azerbaijani bribes

by Aytan Farhadova

•3 min read

US Congressperson Henry Cuellar was indicted for accepting around $360,000 in bribes from SOCAR in exchange for lobbying for Baku in Washington. Henry Cuellar and his wife, Imelda Cuellar, were indicted on money laundering, conspiracy, and bribery charges by a Texas court on 3 May, and were released after posting a $100,000 bond. They were accused of accepting a total of $600,000 in bribes from a Mexican bank and an unidentified state-owned Azerbaijani petrol company, verified by OC Media to