Armenian MP urges PACE to impose sanctions on Azerbaijan
Member of the Armenia delegation to Parliamentary Assemble to the Council of Europe (PACE), Armenian MP Mikayel Melkumyan insists on imposing sanctions against Azerbaijan following a series of stories surfaced in international media named “Azerbaijani laundromat” that described various mechanisms of using $2.9 billion slush fund to buy influence across Europe.
Melkumyan’s suggestion came on the second day of the Assembly autumn session underway in Strasbourg.
“We have plenty of facts, as reflected in international media among other things, with exact references to the type and size of the bribes, therefore the time has come to impose sanctions against the country and its delegation in the Assembly,” Melkumyan declared in his remarks, warning against negative consequences of inaction on behalf of the organization.
The MP noted that amid the decrease of oil process the Azerbaijani economy and public life have occurred in a deep crisis
“What is going in Azerbaijan, where even reporters are abducted from a neighboring country and imprisoned with fabricated charges. They spend huge sums in different international structures, bribe various officials to maintain a positive image for the country. It is unimaginable to think number of international media outlets, the likes of The Guardian to spread disinformation. As the saying goes there is no smoke without fire,” concluded Melkumyan.