A former member of Germany’s federal parliament has received a suspended sentence of one year and two months for accepting bribes from Azerbaijan in exchange for promoting the country’s interests within a top European human rights body.
The Munich Higher Regional Court announced the verdict on Thursday, convicting Axel Fischer of entering into an “unlawful agreement” with Azerbaijani officials. The court determined that Fischer, who served as a Christian Democratic Union lawmaker until 2021, used his position on the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to advance Baku’s agenda.
In addition to the suspended sentence, the presiding judge barred Fischer from holding public office for two years. The court also ordered the confiscation of 20,000 euros and directed him to pay 12,000 euros to a victim support fund.
Prosecutors presented evidence that Fischer shared confidential documents with Azerbaijani representatives, delivered speeches favorable to Baku, and consistently voted in line with Azerbaijan’s interests from 2010 to 2018. The court found that a total of 79,000 euros in cash payments received before August 2014 could not be prosecuted due to the timing of Germany’s political bribery law. However, an additional 24,500 euros in cash was accepted after the legislation took effect, forming the basis for the conviction.
Fischer denied all allegations, insisting he never received money from Azerbaijan. The court dismissed his statements as lacking credibility. His legal team has indicated they will appeal the ruling.
This case follows a separate conviction last July of another former German lawmaker, Eduard Lintner, by the same court on similar bribery charges. Lintner had argued that his actions were legitimate lobbying with “honorable motives.” He has also appealed his sentence.
Both men were linked to a large-scale money-laundering operation revealed in 2017, which exposed how Azerbaijani elites used a multi-billion-dollar slush fund to pay European politicians and improve the country’s image amid human rights criticism. Lintner and Fischer were initially set to be tried together, but Fischer’s proceedings were delayed due to health issues.
Transparency International Germany described the verdict as a crucial step toward accountability. The anti-corruption group urged other nations involved in the scandal to take similar legal actions, noting that while politicians accepted bribes, human rights activists in Azerbaijan remained imprisoned.