Note: This material was originally prepared in Azerbaijani. This English version was translated using artificial intelligence. The credible version is the Azerbaijani version.
During a meeting with Muslim religious leaders from the Organisation of Turkic States on September 15, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev claimed that the vice-president of the European Parliament had not been held accountable for bribery: “The European Parliament is a nest of bribe-takers… Suitcases containing millions of dollars were found in its vice-president’s home, and they covered it all up… She is a female MEP from Greece. How many years have passed since then?… Has she been held accountable? No! She has been released.”
“Fakt Yoxla” concludes that this claim is false.
The MEP President Ilham Aliyev was referring to is Eva Kaili. Although Aliyev did not name her, all the details he mentioned point to her. She is a Greek politician who served as vice-president of the European Parliament. A criminal case was indeed opened against her over allegations of bribery.
The “Qatargate” scandal
In December 2022, the European Union was rocked by a bribery scandal. Police conducted raids at more than 19 locations in Brussels and Italy, seizing €1.5 million in cash. Eight people with ties to the European Parliament were detained.
Those at the centre of the scandal faced charges of forming a criminal organisation, bribery and money laundering. They were accused of lobbying for Qatar in the European Parliament in exchange for bribes.
Among those charged, Eva Kaili, then vice-president of the European Parliament, was the most prominent figure. She was detained in 2022 and remanded in custody. The European Parliament removed her from her position as vice-president. In April 2023, however, the former vice-president was released into house arrest. A month later, her house arrest was also lifted.
Has Eva Kaili not been held accountable?
Although Eva Kaili’s house arrest was lifted, she has faced criminal charges and remains an accused person. Only a court ruling will determine whether she is guilty. There has been no significant progress in the court proceedings in 2026. At the latest hearing in February, the defence’s claims that the investigation had been mishandled were dismissed. In June this year, an arrest warrant was issued for another Greek politician, Dimitris Avramopoulos, in connection with the case.
Thus, Eva Kaili has faced criminal charges in the “Qatargate” case and remains one of the accused.
“Fakt Yoxla” concludes that Ilham Aliyev’s claim is false.
