Italian TV channel "Rai 3" reveals secrets of Azeri "Caviar Diplomacy"

The journalist of the Italian TV channel “Rai 3” Paolo Mondani prepared a TV program dedicated to the so-called “Caviar Diplomacy” of Azerbaijan, as well as the situation with human rights in this country.

Thus, in an interview with Mondani, Azerbaijani investigative journalist Khadija Ismayilova has said that, according to international organizations, there are from 84 to 100 political prisoners in Azerbaijan, 8 of which are journalists. It is emphasized that in the country the reason for imprisonment may even be the “Like” mark in social networks, placed under the status of opposition figures.

As noted in the material, in January 2013 in PACE during the voting a veto was made on the report on 85 political prisoners in Azerbaijan. The report was submitted for discussion by the German deputy in the Council of Europe, Christoph Strasser. According to Strasser, the Azerbaijani government knows how to “achieve” friendship with politicians who “do not mind enjoying luxury,” for example, having received caviar from the Caspian Sea as a gift. This contributed to the fact that the report of the German MP, condemning the violation of human rights in Azerbaijan, was rejected by parliamentarians in the Council of Europe.

As Strasser notes, on the voting day, the room where the report was discussed was unusually full: there were Russian, Turkish MPs, many representatives from Spain and Italy. However, the deviation of the report, in particular, was contributed to by the active work of the Italian politician Luca Volonte.

Luca Volonte, an Italian politician and former head of the European People’s Party faction in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), received a total of €2.39 million for carrying out political activities in the interests of the Azerbaijani authorities.

The Armenian deputy Naira Karapetyan remembers that day well. “Many of the parliamentarians who attended the meeting that day, I have seen for the first time. After the vote, they have disappeared again,” she said in an interview with Mondani. As noted in the material, students from the European non-profit organization “European Stability Initiative” compiled a report entitled “Caviar Diplomacy”, which discloses Azerbaijan’s lobbying activity in the Council of Europe. According to the director of ESI Gerald Knaus, the Council of Europe has always spoken about Azerbaijan “too positively”. “This is the result of “caviar diplomacy”. This is how Azerbaijanis work in the Council of Europe. By this they seek to obtain the necessary votes in favor of their country,” Knaus said. According to him, the parliamentarians visit Azerbaijan, receive expensive gifts, and at the right moment vote in favor of this country.

Further, as the site “mainfatti.it” writes, the TV program also notes that the country, rich in hydrocarbons and caviar, has been Italy’s business partner for many years. These countries are connected by the Trans-Adriatic Gas Pipeline (TAP) energy project, which is designed to transport natural gas from the Shah Deniz field within the Stage-2 through Greece and Albania to Western Europe. However, this project has repeatedly provoked discontent among many environmentalists.

Meanwhile, as the site “Repubblica.it” writes, on 1st December 2016, in Italy the comic book “Ally of Azerbaijan” (L’AlleatoAzero), edited by the designer Claudia Giuliani, will be presented. The main character of the comics is Khadija Ismayilova, which is a symbol of repression in Azerbaijan. All heroes are images of real people. The only fictional character is the journalist Andrea Ulivieri. It’s no coincidence that all the other heroes are members of the “No TAP” committee. In general, the comics say that the TAP project is a scam, and Azerbaijan is a country that suffers from a democratic decline, where people forget about protecting human rights, as evidenced by the history of Khadija, who was the victim of political repression by the Azerbaijani authorities.

It is recalled that previously it was repeatedly reported about the bribery of foreign politicians and lobbying organizations by the Azerbaijani authorities to promote their interests abroad. So, according to the American magazine Foreign Policy, registration documents of the government of Azerbaijan and its American lobbyists show that the country has spent at least $ 4 million on lobbying for only 2014. It was noted that in February 2015 the Azerbaijani embassy increased the monthly fee of its main lobbyist Podesta Group from $ 50,000 to $ 75,000. The registration documents of Podesta Group disclosed hundreds of contacts with the offices of the Congress, executive agencies, media and research centers. Subsequently, Azerbaijan managed to “buy influence” in Washington, and many congressmen began spreading statements in favor of Azerbaijan. At the same time, none of these statements mentioned documented violations of the regime of President Ilham Aliyev against his own citizens.

panorama.am

Источник: report.rai.it