EU political backroom and Ocampo’s shadow game Azerbaijani analysts weigh in on Caliber.Az 

The motives behind the persistent attacks on Azerbaijan by Luis Ocampo, the former International Criminal Court prosecutor who has actively supported the now-defunct Karabakh separatists, have now come to light. 

A video released by Minval Politika captures cynical revelations from both Ocampo himself and his son, Tomás. They describe how, with the assistance of EU officials, they prepared information campaigns targeting Azerbaijan and, paradoxically, Armenia as well. According to their own statements, they were well paid for these activities. 

These modern-day confidence tricksters, without the slightest hint of shame, speak on camera about their intentions to drive a wedge between the European Union and Azerbaijan and to facilitate the removal of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan from power.

In doing so, as revealed by Ocampo himself and his son, the duo claims to rely on individuals such as a legal adviser to former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell. This, in turn, is presented as shedding light on the background of the anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric voiced by this former senior EU official.

Caliber.Az has asked Azerbaijani analysts and political commentators to share their views on this revealing video material.

Farhad Mammadov, head of the South Caucasus Research Centre, noted that the case is unprecedented in nature: due to the efforts of Armenian diaspora institutions, parts of the EU apparatus have effectively been placed at the service of a pro-Russian opposition in Armenia, lobbying its interests, with Yerevan itself falling into this trap amid its confrontation with Azerbaijan.

“After Washington, the Armenian government suspended the financing of such lobbying-style political instruments. However, the structure itself remained in place and is now being used by representatives of Armenian diaspora organisations aligned with Russian interests, who have redirected their activities against the Armenian prime minister. One could say this case represents only the tip of the iceberg of political corruption within EU institutions. In any case, it will have little impact on Azerbaijan’s current policy – trust in EU institutions has long been undermined, and this only reinforces Baku’s determination to distance itself from these structures, where the words ‘democracy’ and ‘transparency’ have become meaningless,” Mammadov said.

In turn, Rasim Musabayov, an Azerbaijani MP and political analyst, stressed that the dirty manoeuvres of Armenian lobbying organisations have been known for years. However, the business allegedly built by former ICC prosecutor Ocampo and his son, despite its scale, is not capable of causing real damage to Azerbaijan.

“Belgian law enforcement authorities, it seems, should intervene in this process, especially if such activities are generating concrete income for these unscrupulous individuals. Of course, the scale of the corruption scheme is striking, and Belgian investigators should pay close attention to it. In essence, we are talking about the buying of MEPs and EU officials, with the entire scheme operating to fulfil the interests of the Ocampo family, who, in turn, through bribery of these actors, advance the agenda of Armenian diaspora networks abroad.

At the same time, these interests are fundamentally anti-Armenian in nature, as they are directed against the overthrow of the legitimate prime minister. Thus, what is effectively taking place is the suppression of democratic and pro-European forces in Armenia, represented by the Civil Contract party and Nikol Pashinyan. This development, I believe, should raise concerns in Brussels and among EU leadership. Meanwhile, Ocampo’s attacks and those of similar figures pose no direct threat to Azerbaijan – Baku has developed a strong immunity to such external pressure,” Musabayov concluded.