Azerbaijan: Follow-up to AZE40444.E of 9 January 2003 and AZE40445.E of 10 January 2003 on official corruption, the ramifications entailed by non-payment of bribes and the prevalence of organized crime
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 14 January 2003 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | AZE41075.E |
| Reference | 2 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Azerbaijan: Follow-up to AZE40444.E of 9 January 2003 and AZE40445.E of 10 January 2003 on official corruption, the ramifications entailed by non-payment of bribes and the prevalence of organized crime, 14 January 2003, AZE41075.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3f7d4d570.html [accessed 24 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In response to questions posed by the Research Directorate, the Director of the Baku-based Institute of Peace and Democracy (IPD) stated that corruption is absolute in Azerbaijan (13 Jan. 2003). Moreover, this corruption is ultimately connected with the "family of the president," within which the Director includes, "the presidential apparatus, brothers, son and other members of the presidential family (IPD 13 Jan. 2003). Government officials, such as tax inspectors, public prosecutors, representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health (including teachers and doctors), custom houses and heads of provinces, pay "corresponding sums to the family of the president" (ibid.). In order to make their payments, these officials "collect ... money from the ordinary people and also from business owners and business people" (ibid.).
According to the IPD, refusal to pay bribes may expose an individual to pressure and a business owner might lose their business (ibid.). Businesses that do not have "support in the family of the president,'" or are unable to pay the bribes, may be closed (ibid.). Moreover, individuals who complain of this corruption publicly may face imprisonment (ibid.).
The IPD stated that "[t]here is no organized crime in Azerbaijan" (ibid.). Unlike Russia, Azerbaijan does not have criminal groups who force business owners to pay protection money, because the state carries out that function and will not allow "private criminals to [take a] cut' [from any] businessman. This is the privilege only of the state official" (ibid.).
This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Caucasian Knot. 20 December 2002. "Meskhetian Turks: Twice Deported People." Institute of Peace and Democracy (IDP). 13 January 2003. Correspondence from the Director.
The IDP is an Azerbaijani humanitarian project initiated by the US National Peace Foundation in 1994, which described itself as a non-governmental, apolitical, non-commercial organization (Caucasian Knot 20 Dec. 2002).
