Italian lawmaker handed 4-year jail term for taking bribes from AzerbaijanJanuary 12, 2021 - 11:04 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Luca Volontè, former deputy and member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, was sentenced today in Milan to four years in prison taking bribes from Azerbaijan, La Repubblica reports. According to the indictment, he abused his power, receiving half a million euros from two Azerbaijani politicians to influence the vote and obtain the rejection of a report on political prisoners in the South Caucasus republic to the advantage of the Azerbaijani government. The so-called Straesser Report on the conditions of political prisoners in Azerbaijan was put to the vote in January 2013.(According to the investigation, Volontè, the then representative for Italy who finished his mandate that same year, was promised €10 million between 2012 and 2014 but ended receiving about €2.4 million (with the court managing to prove the fact of half a million euro bribe). It was revealed in 2017 that Azerbaijan's ruling elite operated a secret €2.5bn ($ 2.9 billion) slush fund to pay off European politicians and make luxury purchases. People said to have been paid include European politicians who adopted a favourable attitude to the government. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Russia provides info about arrested Armenian ex-MP Russian law enforcement agencies have provided information about the arrest of Tigran Urikhanyan. Lemkin Institue slams Pashinyan's “cryptic engagement with Genocide denial” The Lemkin Institute is alarmed over Pashinyan’s statements “questioning Armenia's legal basis to pursue justice against Turkey”. 41 detained as antigovernment protests continue in Yerevan 41 people were detained in Yerevan as people demanding Pashinian’s resignation stage campaigns of civil disobedience. Armenia votes for UN resolution granting Palestine new rights The U.N. General Assembly voted by a wide margin on May 10 to grant new “rights and privileges” to Palestine. |