Following up on previous technical support and recommendations provided in the area of asset recovery, 30 representatives of Azerbaijani law enforcement, judiciary and financial intelligence authorities learned essential techniques on how to seek and provide mutual legal assistance (MLA) in the investigation or prosecution of criminal offenses and in judicial proceedings in the area of economic crime.

The two-day workshop on “Good practices in international cooperation for asset recovery” provided the opportunity to discuss Letters of Request submitted by national authorities to foreign jurisdictions that had been declined or failed to receive a response, explain possible grounds for refusal and offer solutions and practical advice for the success of such requests in the future. The Azerbaijani practitioners openly shared their experience in handling MLA requests from law enforcement and judiciary perspectives and together identified the challenges they face in seeking legal assistance. The importance of using informal channels and preliminary communication to facilitate the international cooperation process and the eventual success of the related MLA request was reiterated during the workshop.

Ovarall, this activity intended to continue supporting the government’s efforts in achieving tangible results in the recovery of assets from criminal proceeds, thereby contributing to the enhancement of the effectiveness of AML/CFT mechanisms in the country.

This workshop 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.