Police Corruption In Azerbaijan: A Troubling Reality

Azerbaijan has long been considered one of the most corrupt countries in the world, with a 2023 score of 23 out of 100 on Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index. The country's law enforcement falls under the control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and includes the National Police force, the Prosecutor's Office, the Customs Committee, the Ministry of Taxes, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the State Border Service. While the government has implemented a comprehensive legal anti-corruption framework, enforcement is poor, and corruption is prevalent across various sectors, including the police.

Police corruption and impunity

Overview

Azerbaijan has a history of high corruption, which persists today and occurs at all levels of government. The police sector carries a very high risk of corruption, with bribery and extortion being common practices. Low wages for police officers have been identified as a contributing factor to corruption. Despite some efforts by the government to combat corruption, it remains a significant issue, particularly within the police force.

Police Corruption

Instances of police corruption and impunity are widespread in Azerbaijan. Bribery and extortion are commonly practiced by police officers, although there have been reports of a decrease in bribe extortions among traffic police. In 2014, 48 cases of corruption involving law enforcement employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were investigated, resulting in the dismissal of 35 employees and the demotion of 28 others.

Impunity

The police force in Azerbaijan operates with a significant degree of impunity. This is enabled by a weak judiciary and insufficient regulatory enforcement, allowing police officers to act without facing consequences for their actions. The low wages of police officers also contribute to a culture of impunity, as they may be more inclined to accept bribes or engage in corrupt practices to supplement their income.

Impact on Citizens

The corruption and impunity within the police force have a direct impact on the citizens of Azerbaijan. Almost half of surveyed households believe the police to be corrupt, and many individuals have reported being harassed, attacked, or falsely accused by the police. Additionally, the police have been known to use excessive force when breaking up protests, resulting in injuries to peaceful protesters.

International Response

The issue of police corruption and impunity in Azerbaijan has garnered attention from international organizations. The European Parliament, for example, has called for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners in the country. Additionally, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe expelled 13 members on corruption charges, including receiving bribes and gifts from Azerbaijan.

Low police wages contributing to corruption

Low wages for police officers have been identified as a contributing factor to corruption in Azerbaijan. In 2015, almost half of surveyed households believed the police to be corrupt. The same year, 48 cases of corruption involving law enforcement employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs were investigated, resulting in the dismissal of 35 employees and the demotion of 28.

In one case, journalist Agil Khalil, who was investigating a case of illegal land clearing by the authorities, was repeatedly harassed and attacked by the police, and eventually stabbed by two men who were later identified as officials from the Ministry of National Security.

Bribery and extortion are common practices in Azerbaijan, with the oil and gas sector considered the greatest source of corruption in the country. The opaque distribution of oil revenues has fuelled presidential patronage and kickbacks to officials.

While Azerbaijan has a comprehensive legal anti-corruption framework in place, enforcement is poor. The Criminal Code criminalises active and passive bribery, attempted corruption, extortion, bribery of foreign officials, money laundering, trading in influence, and abuse of office. However, the government does not effectively implement anti-corruption provisions.

The country's judiciary is also inefficient and suffers from corruption, with judges routinely accepting bribes for favourable verdicts. Businesses face very high corruption risks when dealing with the judiciary, and courts are inefficient in settling disputes and challenging government regulations.

Overall, corruption in Azerbaijan is considered high and occurs at all levels of government.

Police harassment and attacks on journalists

In the same year, journalist Agil Khalil, who was investigating a case of illegal land clearing by the authorities, was stabbed by two officials from the Ministry of National Security after being repeatedly harassed and attacked by the police.

In 2022, 159 incidents of attacks and/or threats against journalists were recorded, with 81% of these attacks committed by government officials. In one instance, Radio Azadliq journalist Fatima Movlamli was beaten in a police station in Baku. In another, journalist Sevinj Vagifgizi was obstructed by police officers while collecting material for a report.

Azerbaijani authorities have been accused of failing to investigate attacks on journalists. In 2021, law enforcement agencies did not prosecute any of the individuals responsible for attacks on media workers.

Police violence at peaceful protests

Azerbaijan has a history of corruption, with Transparency International's 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index ranking the country 129th out of 180 countries. The country's oil wealth has enriched ruling elites and strengthened the stability of the current regime.

The police sector in Azerbaijan carries a very high risk of corruption. Police corruption and impunity are widespread, with bribery and extortion being common practices. Low wages for police officers have been identified as a contributing factor to corruption. Almost half of surveyed households believe the police to be corrupt. In 2014, 48 cases of corruption involving law enforcement employees were investigated, resulting in the dismissal of 35 employees and the demotion of 28 others.

Instances of police violence and harassment have been reported in relation to peaceful protests. In one case, journalist Agil Khalil, who was investigating a land clearing case by the authorities, was repeatedly harassed, attacked, and eventually stabbed by two officials from the Ministry of National Security. In another incident, Khadija Ismayilova, a journalist reporting on government corruption, was imprisoned in 2015.

Azerbaijan has a comprehensive legal anti-corruption framework in place, but enforcement is poor. The Criminal Code criminalizes active and passive bribery, extortion, abuse of office, and other corruption-related offences. However, the government does not effectively implement anti-corruption provisions, and there are no legal measures to protect employees who report corruption.

The country's judiciary also suffers from corruption, with judges routinely accepting bribes for favorable verdicts and a lack of independence. Businesses and citizens face high corruption risks when dealing with land authorities, the tax administration, and customs administration. The oil and gas sector, which is the country's main source of revenue, also lacks transparency and is considered a significant source of corruption.

Police interference in lawyers' work

Azerbaijan is considered highly corrupt, with corruption occurring at all levels of government. The country's oil wealth has enriched ruling elites and strengthened the stability of the regime.

The police sector in Azerbaijan carries a very high risk of corruption. Police impunity and corruption are widespread, with bribery and extortion being common practices. Low wages for police officers have been cited as a contributing factor to corruption. Almost half of surveyed households believe the police to be corrupt.

There have been numerous instances of police interference in the work of lawyers in Azerbaijan. The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) has expressed concern over the arbitrary detention of human rights lawyers by the State Security Service (SSS). In one instance, human rights lawyer Fariz Namazli was detained without an official summons or stated reasons for his detention. The ICJ believes that this arrest was an act of persecution in response to his legitimate professional and human rights work, and part of a wider strategy by authorities to obstruct lawyers defending human rights and politically sensitive cases.

The Azerbaijani Bar Association, which is perceived as closely aligned with the government, has been accused of disbarring lawyers who work on politically sensitive cases. In 2019, the licenses of three lawyers working on cases of political persecution were restored after being suspended for a year following complaints by the prosecutor's office. However, pressure continued on several other lawyers, with some being disbarred or reprimanded for advising their clients on filing torture allegations.

Instances of police interference in the work of lawyers have also been observed during protests and rallies. In October 2019, police violently broke up three unsanctioned peaceful protests in Baku, arresting and beating protesters. Detainees were denied access to lawyers of their choosing, and opposition politicians were beaten and pressured to stop their political activism.

Azerbaijan's judiciary also poses significant corruption risks, with courts suffering from inefficiency and corruption. Judges routinely accept bribes for favorable verdicts, and the country performs poorly in terms of judicial independence. Businesses face high corruption risks when dealing with land authorities and tax administration, with bribery and irregular payments being common.

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