After thorough consultations with national authorities and an extensive review of background documentation and applicable legislation, a detailed analysis of the draft legal amendments introducing non-conviction-based confiscation and parallel financial investigations in Azerbaijan was produced by the Council of Europe with a view to ensure their compliance with international standards and best practices. These initiatives were undertaken by the Government in response to the recommendations emanating from the comprehensive assessment of the national asset recovery framework provided earlier by the same project.

To facilitate further discussions on the conclusions and recommendations of the paper produced, an online encounter was organised with the representatives of different Departments of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan on 12 October 2022. The meeting allowed to clarify certain aspects of the draft legislative amendments and their analysis, as well as agree on certain key modifications proposed in the paper. 

This series of initiatives aims to enhance effective approaches to asset recovery and ensure higher efficiency in countering and preventing serious economic crimes. Subsequently, these reforms will pave the way for further improving the anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism regime and the asset recovery system in the country. 

With the introduction of parallel financial investigations, law enforcement authorities will be better positioned to significantly contribute to all investigations in an enhanced effort to effectively detect money laundering, terrorist financing and other serious crimes. Opening possibilities for non-conviction-based confiscation, under certain conditions, in the national legislative framework, ultimately aims to lead to a more effective recovery of proceeds from crime, for the benefit of the Azerbaijani state and society.    

 
This meeting was organised within the framework of the project “Strengthening anti-money laundering and asset recovery in Azerbaijan”, funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe and implemented by the Council of Europe in their Partnership for Good Governance II.