The Novae Terrae Foundation received 19 identical payments, totalling €1,990,000 ($2,644,291) from Hilux Services, Polux Management and Metastar Invest in 2012 and 2014 as “contributions” and for a consulting service.
The foundation lobbies against abortion, assisted suicide, same-sex marriage and secularism, which it describes as “new human rights” that “have nothing to do with the concept of human rights according to natural law.”
Luca Volonte, an Italian Parliament member and the former chair of the European People’s Party group in the Council of Europe (PACE), is among its chairmen.
Volonte is facing charges in Italy for corruption related to payments from Hilux worth €2.39 million. Prosecutors accuse Volonte of working to undermine a PACE report that condemned Azerbaijan for its political prisoners and for human rights violations. In January 2013, PACE voted against endorsing the report.
Volonte denies any wrongdoing.
