Corruption in Europe — For oil and gas from Azerbaijan | DW Documentary

Corruption in Europe — For oil and gas from Azerbaijan | DW Documentary

azerbajan a former Soviet Republic bounded by the Caspian Sea the country’s people and media are routinely suppressed and yet the country is becoming increasingly important for Europe due to its considerable gas and oil reserves Frank schwaba came here as an election Observer on behalf of the Council of Europe it was the first election where I saw massive electoral fraud interestingly everything in this country is controlled there’s no free press nothing it’s almost at the bottom of the press Freedom index ring that’s why we filmed this secretly and at Great risk to all those wanting to shed light on how one of Europe’s biggest corruption scandals Could Happen a long com a little lawmaker who isn’t poor and who sees this and then follows all the things they can do here where they can get invited to along with the president and his wife on board boats where they get gifts and where ladies knock on their door in the [Music] night and then they think they’re far away from home from Berlin and Strasburg away from it all and they see this and they think oh the weather’s lovely and everyone here’s Rich there’s no issue here everyone’s nice and that gives them strange ideas not everyone but some and they let themselves be bought buying European politicians how does that work [Music] Frank schwaba has been a member of the German Parliament the bundist since 2005 shaba also heads the German delegation in the Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe he travels regularly to stasbor the headquarters of the continent’s leading human rights organization the Council of Europe was founded after the second world war to safeguard human rights this organization is clearly at a Crossroads human rights in general are at a Crossroads worldwide for all his dedication he still believes politicians need to be prepared to compromise if we were to see that we would no longer have any doings or dealings with aeran or worse then we wouldn’t be left with much of course I also realize we strengthen regimes by making economic deals with them I have never proposed that we should no longer have any dealings with them but at the same time that doesn’t mean you can’t speak frankly is a Frank discussion with aeran even possible the country lives from its oil and gas reserves it’s achieved considerable wealth and international standing with the fossil fuels Europe urgently needs this country is depending on how you look at it bed with oil wealth but in effect it’s also a curse because without Democratic oversight the money ends up in the pockets of a few Frank shaba is preparing for a risky meeting he wants to offer hope to a woman whose freedom is anything but a given we’re meeting Kad Isa one of the most courageous and also best known critics of the regime here in aan here in Kadija is Maya’s work as an investigative journalist and blogger endangers her life only her prominence and international pressure protect her the government is very cautious as it knows she’s a symbolic figure if she were arrested tomorrow there would be immediate International protests the Council of Europe would pass resolutions and aeran would be named and shamed they don’t want that as soon as she extends her hand in greeting men in plain clothes presumably from the domestic Secret Service step in they want to prevent her from giving an interview hi nice to meet how are you in the elevator she tells us to turn the camera back on she ignores the officials instructions 2015 it’s difficult to leave with the feeling that um someone shut shut you up the journalist refuses to be silenced even though her safety is at risk you know you walk through the city you see the beautiful building I see the corruption corruption and intimidation tactics are linked to the family of president ilham aliev alv took over power from his father isova is investigating the family’s business Affairs so I’ve learned how to look into Panamanian registry and I found 11 companies belong that belong to the president’s family members she uncovered undisclosed shareholdings belonging to the president residential family in privatized Banks and telecommunications companies shortly afterwards isova was sentenced to 7 years in prison after a year and a half she was released on parole after International [Music] protests Kadija isova is one of the most dedicated Defenders of Human Rights and journalists here in aaban probably Beyond this really is a shining example of someone who is risking her personal life putting her happiness on the line for a good cause and she deserves to be supported internationally for her commitment by anyone who can and of course it is incredibly disappointing to see that there are lawmakers who ultimately have stabbed people like Kadija Isa the back out of self-interest for their own personal gain it’s tragic and also really shameful the German politician is used to supporting people living under a dictatorship who are fighting for their rights freedom and dignity but he never imagined that he would have to stand up to his own allies in the Council of of Europe to do [Music] so isn’t here we’re in the heart of the Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe it All Began in 2013 at one of his first votes as a member of the Parliamentary assembly that was the vote in the Parliamentary assembly where in an emotional debate it was ultimately decided by a majority that iCal prisoners do not exist in a but let’s also talk about the people who are in prison if we vote for Mr str’s report and goodness me I hope we don’t uh then we can’t stop there a serious mistakes and deliberate Distortion of facts in view of the extremely complex geopolitical situation which many colleagues have already addressed dangerous and delicate for this reason I do not hesitate to vote against this report the vote was merely intended to establish the existence of political prisoners in azerbijan far from a secret but quite unexpectedly the majority of Representatives voted against the report by the then Deputy head of the German delegation Kristoff stresa it shattered me personally too it took me a long time to get over it to this day stresa hasn’t fully come to terms with the defeat but why is is that not a part of day-to-day politics it was unprecedented for the Council of Europe for the Parliamentary assembly to reject a motion from a committee with such a majority it wasn’t just the outcome of the vote that surprised sta but how it came about the German commissioner for human rights had never seen anything like [Music] it the plenary suddenly filled up unexpectedly there were well over 200 members in the room which is an enormous number for these parliamentary meetings and it was absolutely clear that these people had been mobilized the representatives were from Italy France and the UK but also from Germany there were even people hugging each other celebrating this result and today I know they were celebrating the fact that they were paid a lot of money from the event that decision was bought serious allegations several investigations into suspected corruption are currently underway against former members of another European institution the European Parliament and what does aeran have to say about the corruption allegations we asked the embassy its response aeran is building relations with European countries in a transparent and legal manner at the time Fang shaba debated whether he should stay in the Council of Europe I found the whole celebration of aeran success so bizarre and disturbing I said either you leave it here and now or you try to do everything you can to prevent it from happening again even though I hadn’t really understood what exactly had happened then someone in the no reached out to him Geral knous is the head of the European stability initiative Think Tank he researches corruption worldwide and has excellent connections all the way to azerbajan he told Fran schwaba what his sources were telling him we already had sources in aeran who tried to explain it a few insiders explained how people were being systematically bribed how people were systematically given gifts in the rooms how money was transferred vacations organized with a whole list of names three members of the German bundestag edad lintner Axel Fisher and Karen stren also came under suspicion all three were said to have received money from aeran traveling to the country and taking part in election observation missions all we could say was insiders explain to us how the regime operates and what we’re seeing is the results Representatives who stand up and say that black is white that rigged elections are fair elections that political prisoners are Hooligans and criminals for stren fiser and lintner all denied the accusations Frank schwaba was also in Baku to observe the elections on behalf of the Council of Europe on Election Day The Observers were meant to be visiting several polling stations and documenting events shaba recalls a disturbing encounter Along Came Mrs stren shopping bags on both arms on the day of the election observation German lawmaker Karen stren was also in Baku to observe the elections but she was visiting boutiques that [Music] day Mrs stren was out shopping and yet was confident the next day that it was another important step towards free and fair elections of course it was nothing of the sort in the meantime authorities and other European countries had launched initial investigations but not in Germany we know thanks to Italian prosecutors that an aani assembly member had suspiciously transferred over €2.4 million euros via letterbox companies to an Italian lawmaker he was chair of the European people’s party which was the largest Block in the Parliamentary assembly that was right at the time of this vote on iCal prisoners we know that the transfers were discovered the emails the conversations between the two were discovered in an email the Italian thanked the azani representative with the words your gifts are very tasty and quote your wish is my command he was convicted in Italy but acquitted due to a lack of evidence Frank schwaba and Geral canos hoped nevertheless that law enforcement agencies would take action no one should get away Scott free the reality was different aan remained a member of the Council of Europe even when it became clear what was happening here they could continue with impunity and for this reason authoritarian States will not shy away from using money to try to corrupt our institutions democracies and parliaments to the trail of corruption and violence also led to the Mediterranean island of Malta Matthew karuan Galia looks back on the darkest days of his life it’s this this is the the project that that led to my mother’s assassination it’s this project the electro gas power plant is a joint venture involving malt business people German industrial giant Seamans and the aeran state-owned company soar it’s part of an ambitious strategy to provide Europe with gas via a pipeline from azerbijan in the future Daphne Karana Gala discovered that high-ranking maltes politicians were covertly involved in the gas project via shell companies in Panama Matthew’s brother Andrew remembers his mother’s stunning [Music] reports and when this came out I remember feeling this sort of just this empty sensation in my stomach journalist Daphne Karana Gala didn’t know her assassination was being planned the bomb went off as my mother was coming down the hill and the force of the explosion it just sent the car carrying into the field here and it it ended up in in that spot where is the banner Daphne caruana Gala died in the burning wreckage of her car the investigation got off to a faltering start it looked as if the authorities were trying to protect powerful people in in [Music] Malta but her son Matthew pushed on my mother was contacted by a source from within Electro gas and this Source was passing on the agreements that the males government was refusing to publish detailing the terms of the deals with aeran and with the with the people from the private sector behind the project in Malta he followed the money to Geneva in Switzerland the azerbajan state-owned company soar has offices there in a prime location so sar’s role in this was most likely as a vehicle for for Kickbacks um to to those multi politicians I mentioned with secret Panama companies soar did not respond to our request for comment the Brothers investigations LED them deeper into a network of corruption in European politics it all revolved around raw materials it scared people if they felt they could get away with murdering the country’s most famous journalist then they could get away with anything you know just a question of of when they decide to act with fear following them they sought help outside Malta and turned to the Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe Pace Frank schwaba took on the case it was actually even scarier because we knew so little so we didn’t know we didn’t know who was behind it it really felt like a Minefield and and we obviously couldn’t trust our own um half our own National delegation in Pace unfortunately despite Massive Resistance from azani representative SED sov F schwaba and fellow campaigners were able to push through a special report the Council of Europe listened to the brothers the pressure paid off there were arrests in Malta and the first sentences were handed down the family of the murdered journalist Daphne Karana Gala continued their own investigative journalistic work we were able to uncover that money came from aeran bounced around Europe like a ping pong War going to Switzerland lvia then to the United Arab Emirates into a bank account belonging to uran fenek now because he is being prosecuted for his role in my mother’s assassination there is a distinct possibility that those funds were used to finance the assassination itself malt businessman Jorgen fek is in custody and awaiting trial this year in connection with the murder in Germany investigations were launched into the three bundestag members edad lintner Axel Fisher and Karen stren in a statement fisha referred to bogus evidence and politically motivated investigations a few months later Karen stren died suddenly at the age of 53 for the first time in years Kadija mova was allowed to leave her country her first destination Germany to report the bundist talk on the situation in aeran last time I was in Berlin it was 8 years [Music] ago9 this eight years I was on the Travel ban then in prison then again on the Travel ban so it was difficult time the journalist is also critical of Germany’s role after all that’s happened why are German politicians still sticking by azerbijan it’s disappointing but that’s how it is you understand that for European politician I his constituency demanding the gas is much more important than aabani political prisoner Commodities mean power and Europeans are more dependent than ever before vast quantities of raw materials will be crucial in implementing the European Union’s green deal and phasing out fossil fuel like oil and gas thanks to azer Ban’s gas and oil reserves president ilham alv is already a welcome guest and energy partner and he clearly has his eyes set on the future in September 2023 azani troops took control of the disputed nagoro kabak region within just a few days azerbijan celebrated its victory while over 130,000 ethnic Armenians fled when asked aeran said no one had been forced to leave the territory a government report on azer Ban’s economic minerals indicates what this so-called Liberation operation was really about the raw materials of the future like copper Cobalt and lithium just one month month after the negoro kabak offensive azer Ban’s minister of ecology and natural resources MTAR babayev invited guests to the geom mining Forum in Baku it was the first of its kind in the country the new territories are rich in natural resources which will play an important role in reconstruction thank you and good luck [Applause] representatives from German organizations and companies also attended we can find what we need for the future here and for the future we need Metals for renewable energies in the automotive sector for electromobility and many of the deposits are located in the previously occupied territories which are now being developed and are gradually being integrated into azan’s economy [Music] aan could be a very good partner for us in the sense that we could also obtain copper gold aluminium and other resources and this could enable very good cooperation a win-win situation for both sides what role does the country’s human rights record play in all this the subject of Human Rights Isn’t So straightforward here I don’t know much about it I must admit I haven’t really looked into it alev doesn’t go around poisoning dissident in England or Germany or have them shot or killed in the street that doesn’t happen here for mining companies it’s all about claims The Mining rights in the area is now under aarani control Anglo Asian mining is traded on the London Stock Exchange the company had already made a deal worth several billion EUR with aeran a year before the military operation farhang Hadi is a top executive at Anglo Asian mining of course I should not deny that the current strategic metal situation in the world was also a motive behind that and especially in the Europe America those Metals demands will be a strategic and the Strategic qu concept not just commercial aeran is looking to the Future the Strategic Foundation is being laid here in the Border region with negoro kabak minerals for future Technologies critical for the European green deal these crucial raw materials are intended to ensure that aeran can continue to pursue its power politics in a post gas and oil era let’s look at it like that except some European countries the other European countries they wanted to leave the dirty job to the others and if they are paying now they deserve to pay if during the assessments Europe founds itself a little bit dependent on all aspects on the other others not in a reliable way this is a situation that they have builded themselves in azerbajan the mining of critical raw materials is developing rapidly why is Europe Clinging On because there are raw materials there which we need but we’re not only doing this with aan we’re also doing this with China and other countries unfortunately I could tell you stuff about all these other countries too what’s especially unpleasant about aan is that they’re shamelessly exploiting this rule after all that’s happened aeran is in a stronger geopolitical position than ever before F shaba doesn’t have the power to change that but in the Council of Europe he wants to finally hold aeran to account we’re currently discussing making asan’s Representatives responsible for all that they’re doing and the rules they’re breaking this meeting at the Council of Europe is intended to set a precedent so I’m going yes yes I see the hand of Mr Schwab yes Frank the floor is open thank you very much dear president if Frank shab’s motion is accepted the azer bani delegation’s credentials to the Council of Europe would not be ratified yeah this isn’t easy the pressure is huge right now they’re contacting the German Chancellor the German foreign minister and all the other Council of Europe member states that’s where we stand would those members supporting this challenge please rise in their places the Moment of Truth previously Thea report was voted down here yes thank you thank you the challenge has the support required under rules of procedures this is the first time azaran has been held accountable in the Council of Europe it’s not pleasant but we need to say now that we won’t put up with it the representatives of azerbajan left in protest almost simultaneously the public prosecutor’s office in Munich brought charges against two former members of the bundestag in connection with allegations of bribery by azerbijan the battle for the raw materials of the future is only just beginning in azaran and many other countries can Europe take part without sacrificing its values [Music] [Music]

The EU imports gas and oil from authoritarian Azerbaijan. Now the European bloc is looking to the South Caucasus republic for other valuable raw materials for its Green Deal. To quash dissent, Azerbaijan is accused of bribing EU politicians.

This documentary follows German parliamentarian Frank Schwabe from the center-left Social Democratic Party. Schwabe is also a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and an advocate of democracy and human rights in Azerbaijan. In his work, he uncovered a system that rewarded some European politicians for looking the other way when elections in Azerbaijan were rigged and keeping quiet when opposition members were persecuted.
The film also traces the fate of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. She revealed links between businesspeople in Malta, members of the European Parliament, and Azerbaijan — and paid for it with her life.
The documentary shows that this network of favors and corruption has also been used to justify war — and, ultimately, the expulsion of ethnic Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2023. Now there are plans to extract metals like copper, cobalt, and lithium from this resource-rich region. Europe needs such commodities for its transition to green energy and European mining companies are also actively involved. The price is human rights violations and rampant environmental destruction — all in the name of the European Green Deal.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #europe
______

DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.

Subscribe to:
⮞ DW Documentary (English): https://www.youtube.com/dwdocumentary
⮞ DW Documental (Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/dwdocumental
⮞ DW Documentary وثائقية دي دبليو (Arabic): https://www.youtube.com/dwdocarabia
⮞ DW Doku (German): https://www.youtube.com/dwdoku
⮞ DW Documentary हिन्दी (Hindi): https://www.youtube.com/dwdochindi

For more visit: http://www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610
Follow DW Documentary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwdocumentary/
Follow DW Documental on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dwdocumental

We kindly ask viewers to read and stick to the DW netiquette policy on our channel: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G