On January 22, 2026, the Higher Regional Court (Oberlandesgericht) in Munich sentenced former CDU Bundestag member Axel E. Fischer to one year and two months imprisonment, suspended on probation, for accepting bribes from Azerbaijan during his tenure in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. The court also ordered the confiscation of 20,000 euros received as bribes and mandated payment of 12,000 euros to a charitable organization. Fischer is barred from running for public office for two years. Investigations by the Munich General Prosecutor concluded that Fischer accepted tens of thousands of euros in exchange for favorable speeches promoting Azerbaijan and early dissemination of confidential documents. The court noted Fischer aimed to delay proceedings to reach statute of limitations. Fischer was held in custody as he repeatedly missed court dates. His defense denies all charges, alleging biased investigations and false witness testimony. Transparency International hailed the ruling as historic, indicating Germany’s judiciary’s commitment to prosecuting strategic corruption attempts by authoritarian regimes. Fischer and co-defendant Eduard Lintner have both filed appeals to the Federal Court of Justice. The case highlights concerns over foreign influence and corruption targeting democratic institutions.
Category: Political & Legal Subversion
Subcategory: Unknown
Incident Type: Unknown
Country: Germany
Source report: www.tagesschau.de/inland/re…
