Scandal on anti-Semitism that is financed by Azerbaijani authorities in Europe is gaining momentum
In recent months, the international media reported that the Azerbaijani officials in France have been involved in financing of anti-Semitism, and have created a European information and Human Rights Centre (EIHRC) especially for this purpose. A scandal broke out on this occasion. "The European Center for Journalists” (ECFJ) in its turn held a journalistic investigation on this topic, published on the official website titled “Is Azerbaijan preparing another Holocaust in Europe?"
As noted in the article, the head of the social and political issues of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan Ali Hasanov was supervising the activities of EIHRC from Baku. Initially this organization in Strasbourg was led by Harry Murey, a German lawyer, specialist in international law, who revealed interesting facts in an interview with ECFJ.
According to him, Eynulla Fatullayev, a member of the Union of Journalists of Azerbaijan, suggested them to organize a European informative-Human Rights Center, reporting that Azay Guliyev, the head of the Council of State Support to NGOs under the administration of Azerbaijani President had allocate a grant in the amount of approximately EUR 100 000 to the center.
Fatullayev also stated that president Ilham Aliyev is informed, and Hasanov will add money from other resources, including different articles from Azerbaijani budget. He also noted that one part of the money will be transferred by the system of Western Union, through close ties of Aliyev clan in AtaBank, and he will bring the rest in cash himself to avoid taxes.
"My colleagues and I refused to take part in the organization of anti-Semitic demonstrations and write anti-Israeli reports, and the Azerbaijani side in avenge decided not to pay our salaries, provided by the contract," Murey said, adding that the Azerbaijani side is putting pressure on the French authorities, in order to hinder the judicial and law enforcement authorities for carrying out any investigations in EIHRC, however they have already sent the extensive materials on the activities of the presidential clan of Azerbaijan to Europol and the security services of some countries.
Murey believes that Fatullaev is playing a double game: he stores documents and materials, compromising not only the top leaders of Azerbaijan but also the Aliyev clan. "Apart of the financial and accounting documents explaining the origin of the fabulous wealth of the Azerbaijani elite, there are also papers in the data bank which present the foreign activities of Azerbaijani MNS. If these documents appear in the wrong, non-friendly to official Baku hands, it can lead to very real "political earthquake" in Azerbaijan and to a collapse of government," claims the German lawyer.
As stated in the article of the US Congress, Steve Stockman has recently condemned Armenia for anti-Semitism and xenophobia, but the lawyer is confident that S. Stockman cannot be called an experienced politician in the truest sense of the word. "Nothing to say about his reputation. Such statements have purely populist nature and do not reflect the disposition of the Republican Party," said Murey.
He also notes that the attempts of the official Baku to incite the American establishment on Armenia will hardly be able to save Azerbaijan from non-incredible political and economic sanctions. Although Republicans traditionally hold pro-Azerbaijani disposition, the recent events in Baku – namely anti-American campaign against the former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Morningstar – a wholesale closure of the offices in Azerbaijan, international, including American organizations, as well as demonstrative arrests of a number of prominent human rights defenders and journalist of "Radio Liberty" - leaves no doubt that in the discussion on political and economic sanctions against Azerbaijan do not rise specific differences between Democrats and Republicans.
The author of the article adds that the Azerbaijani officials have already intervened into the case, in particular, the Permanent Mission of the country to the UN. Trying to save the reputation of the Azerbaijani authorities on international scandal on November 21, Farid Jebrailov, the first secretary of representation published his article in the publication of "Reporter", where, instead of giving specific answers to questions of the American and European press about the financing of anti-Semitism in Europe, Jebrailov only reported that "Azerbaijan respects Israel and there are three synagogues in Baku."