The former ambassador of Azerbaijan in Podgorica Eldar Hasanov had his apartment in Montenegro confiscated following a 10-year prison sentence in Azerbaijan for embezzling over 28 million euros.

This information was confirmed to Vijesti by the Higher Court in Podgorica, which acknowledged the Baku court’s ruling that declared the property was acquired through criminal activities.

The apartment was reportedly registered under the name of his relative, HAS.

“According to the court’s verdict… it has been established that the defendant HE H, a citizen of Azerbaijan, was found guilty by the Baku Court for Serious Crimes for repeatedly stealing a total of 16,893,868.89 euros, or 17,931,316.09 manats at that time’s exchange rate, from March 1, 2010 to August 1, 2020, in cooperation with others. He also laundered 11,156,716.69 euros, or 11,804,661.38 manats, on numerous occasions through fraudulent activities by entering false data in official documents and abusing his official capacity to benefit himself and others unlawfully.” The Higher Court responded to Vijesti.

It elaborated that under Azerbaijani law, he committed serious offenses, including large-scale robbery through illegal appropriation, money laundering, abuse of power, and causing significant damage to protected state interests.

“Thus, the Baku 1 Serious Crimes Court sentenced him on January 21, 2022, with the verdict becoming final on October 20, 2022. He received an eight-year prison sentence for offenses under Art. 9 of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan, along with various other sentences and deprived of the right to hold managerial roles in government bodies for a combined total of years,” the court added.

Appeal rejected; first instance court’s findings upheld

The Court of Appeal stated that the first instance court accurately established the factual situation and correctly applied relevant laws. The judgment contained sufficient reasoning, thus dismissing claims in the appeal regarding incorrect factual findings or violations of the Criminal Code of Montenegro as baseless.

The Court of Appeal affirmed the verdict from the Higher Court in Podgorica, asserting that the initial court correctly interpreted the evidence presented in the case files.

“Based on the submitted documentation, it correctly concluded that all requirements specified in the provisions of Articles 2, 3, and 38, paragraph 1 of the Law on International Assistance in Criminal Matters, as well as various international agreements, were met for recognizing the aforementioned final judgment of the Serious Crimes Court in Baku from January 21,” the ruling stated.

It has also been established that HE H, a citizen of Azerbaijan, repeatedly stole significant sums amounting to 16,893,868.89 euros during his term as ambassador from 2010 to 2020.

On December 26, 2024, a final decision was rendered to confiscate property acquired through criminal activity from the former Azerbaijani Ambassador, specifically the apartment transferred to his nephew.

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