German Parliamentarian Implicated in Azerbaijan Laundromat Dies

News

German lawmaker and member of the ruling Christian Democratic Union, Karin Strenz, died on Saturday while traveling privately from Cuba to Germany. Strenz was implicated in the Azerbaijani Laundromat, a EU-wide lobbying and money laundering scheme revealed by OCCRP in 2017.

Related Articles

Calls for Anti-Corruption in Ukraine’s Post-War Rebuild
As Ukraine looks toward recovery from the ongoing conflict, international partners and reform advocates call for embedding anti-corruption measures in post-war restoration efforts.
Mining Crimes Pose a Challenge for Law Enforcement, Experts Say
A recent report found that only one in three of environmental crime cases in the Amazon produced a parallel financial crime investigation from authorities.
Kyrgyz Elite Targeted as Japarov Allies Gain Key Assets
After the killing of crime boss Kamchy Kolbaev, Kyrgyz authorities have intensified their crackdown on prominent business figures suspected of financing organized crime. But is it justice—or something else?
Calls for Anti-Corruption in Ukraine’s Post-War Rebuild
As Ukraine looks toward recovery from the ongoing conflict, international partners and reform advocates call for embedding anti-corruption measures in post-war restoration efforts.
Mining Crimes Pose a Challenge for Law Enforcement, Experts Say
A recent report found that only one in three of environmental crime cases in the Amazon produced a parallel financial crime investigation from authorities.
Kyrgyz Elite Targeted as Japarov Allies Gain Key Assets
After the killing of crime boss Kamchy Kolbaev, Kyrgyz authorities have intensified their crackdown on prominent business figures suspected of financing organized crime. But is it justice—or something else?
March 24th, 2021
Money Laundering Police

According to media reports, Strenz fell unconscious as the plane from Havana to Frankfurt am Main was crossing the Atlantic. Pilots decided to land in Ireland where Strenz was taken to a hospital but upon arrival doctors could only determine her death.

The Laundromat scheme was a complex money-laundering operation and slush fund that handled US$2.9 billion over a two-year period through shell companies registered in the U.K.

Among the many things the money allegedly bought was silence if not praise from western officials even as Azerbaijan’s government arrested scores of human rights and anti-corruption activists as well as journalists. 

In 2020 German authorities raided Strenz’s home and office as part of their investigation into her involvement in the scheme. Via a lobbying company, she allegedly received at least $24,270 to lobby for the Azerbaijani regime while she was a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).

Related Reporting