Latest news with #OrganizedCrimeandCorruptionReportingProject
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Andrew Tate's ‘Golden Passport' faces revocation in fresh blow; Here's what we know
Andrew Tate's 'golden passport' will be soon revoked as the Vanuatuan government is looking into prospects of removing his passport that he bought to receive the South Pacific island nation's "manosphere" influencer citizenship. In the United Kingdom, Tate is accused of rape, human trafficking, and regulating prostitution, while he is accused of rape and human trafficking in Romania. Tate has refuted all the charges levelled against him. The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) reported that he bought a passport for citizenship in Vanuatu in 2022, and he was charged around the same time in Romania. The government of Vanuatu is currently investigating the purchase of his passport. Speaking to ABC News, Vanuatu authorities' spokesperson Kiery Manassah stated: 'Once we have the files, definitely, the processes will be in place to revoke his citizenship. The government does not want to encourage people of questionable backgrounds to be granted citizenship.'
Saudi Gazette
3 days ago
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
Vanuatu looks into revoking Andrew Tate's golden passport
PORT VILA — Vanuatu authorities are looking at revoking Andrew Tate's citizenship after it was revealed that he acquired a golden passport at around the same time as his 2022 arrest in Romania for rape and human trafficking. The self-described misogynist influencer acquired citizenship under a fast-track scheme for those who invest at least $130,000 (£96,000) in the tiny Pacific archipelago, according to an investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project. The scheme has raised security concerns, and led the European Union to revoke Vanuatu's visa-free privilege in late 2024. A Vanuatu government spokesman said authorities were "definitely looking into" Tate's citizenship. "Once we have the files, definitely, the processes will be in place to revoke his citizenship," Kiery Manassah told ABC News. "The government does not want to encourage people of questionable backgrounds to be granted citizenship," he added. "Those who are wanted by their countries or who are investigated by police authorities from overseas are not welcome to be part of the citizens of Vanuatu."Passports-for-sale or citizenship by investment schemes are a source of income for countries like Vanuatu. But they have also been abused by organised crime suspects, oligarchs and even intelligence agents, said Aubrey Belford, Pacific lead editor at OCCRP."It's caused a lot of alarm because it's one of those loopholes that allows people to get a new passport or even a new identity and be able to evade law enforcement," Belford told ABC granted Tate citizenship in December 2022. That same month, Tate and his brother Tristan were arrested in Romania and have since largely been under travel restrictions in the does not have a formal extradition treaty with is unclear if Tristan Tate also acquired Vanuatu recent years, Andrew Tate has built a massive online presence, including more than 10 million followers on X, sharing his lifestyle of fast cars, private jets and has also gained global notoriety for his views towards women, proudly proclaiming himself a "misogynist" and also using extreme language relating to acts of violence against has also been singled out for the effect he has had in spreading misogyny online among boys and young men by authorities in the Tate brothers were both born in the US but moved to Luton in the UK with their mother after their parents have denied allegations of criminal the UK is seeking their extradition from Romania after they were charged in 2024 of rape, actual bodily harm and human for the brothers have said that they will return to the UK to face those charges, that stemmed from allegations between 2012 and 2015.A Romanian court has ruled that the brothers could be extradited to the UK following the end of any trial there. — BBC
Saudi Gazette
08-04-2025
- Business
- Saudi Gazette
Billionaire on trial in Azerbaijan who risks being left behind by peace deal
BAKU — Ruben Vardanyan is one of Armenia's richest men, but his millions are of little use now that he is facing a possible life term in jail in neighboring Azerbaijan. The two neighboring Caucasus countries have agreed the text of a historic peace deal to end decades-long conflict over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, but Vardanyan and 15 other former ethnic Armenian leaders are not part of the agreement. They are on trial in a military court in Baku, accused of war crimes dating back decades. Vardanyan, a 56-year-old Russian-Armenian entrepreneur, is facing 42 charges including planning and waging war, mercenary activities and terrorism. A picture of him in court appeared to show bruises on his forehead and there have been allegations of torture, denied by Azerbaijan which insists his rights have been respected in custody. It marks a dramatic downfall for a man who made his fortune in Russia and once rubbed shoulders with celebrities such as George and Amal Clooney. He set up Russia's first investment bank back in the early 1990s, and as founder of the country's prestigious business management school "Skolkovo" he enjoyed the reputation of a progressive visionary, a Western-friendly voice in Russia's business community in the 2000's. But a 2019 investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project said that employees of his investment bank built a financial system laundering billions of dollars in the mid-2000s. Vardanyan denied being aware of any criminal activities, and was never legally charged. He spent hundreds of millions of dollars on philanthropic projects in Armenia, and transformed a quiet town in the snow-capped mountains in the north of the country, setting up a school with the aim of attracting students from all over the world. "This school was imagined as an institution that would bring Armenia to the world and the world to Armenia," says Adam Armanski, the principal of the United World Colleges (UWC) of Dilijan. Everything changed for Ruben Vardanyan in September 2022 when he decided to move to Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region that was historically populated by ethnic Armenians but part of Soviet Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan had already fought two full-scale wars over the region, which was internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan. The first Karabakh war in the 1990s resulted in the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Azeris. Then, in 2020, Azerbaijan — backed by Turkey — regained control of big swathes of the lost territory, while the Karabakh enclave remained in the hands of ethnic Armenian separatists. Within months of Vardanyan's arrival Azerbaijani authorities blocked the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with the Republic of Armenia, subjecting the region's population to severe food shortages. Vardanyan renounced his Russian citizenship and became the de facto prime-minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Armenians call Artsakh. He used his name, contacts and the ability to speak fluent English to raise the awareness of the plight of Karabakh Armenians. "My father did more interviews with international media in three months than all the other Nagorno-Karabakh presidents in 30 years. The amount of attention this was receiving from the Western media clearly irritated Azerbaijan," his son David Vardanyan told the BBC. There had been speculation that Vardanyan had moved there to avoid international sanctions imposed on Russia's billionaires with links to the Kremlin. The government in Baku considered his decision to take up the position as illegal. His son insists he was driven by the desire to help local Armenians. "We had an argument on our last family holiday, I was completely against his decision, which was putting the entire family at risk. He said he would not be able to live with himself knowing he did nothing for the Armenians of Karabakh." His father's long-term friend Arman Jilavian said even the remotest of chances of helping ethnic Armenians remain in their ancestral land was enough for him. "Some would say this was irrational, some say this was super calculated political move. I think none is true," he says. In September 2023 Azerbaijan launched a military operation and took control of the entire territory in 24 hours. Nagorno-Karabakh's leaders capitulated and more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians were forced to leave their homes. Vardanyan was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities as he joined a mass exodus to Armenia. Much of his time since has been spent in solitary confinement, his family says. He has already been on hunger strike twice, protesting at what he has called a lack of proper judicial process, amid allegations of torture. Fifteen other former Karabakh leaders are also being tried in Baku's military court for alleged war crimes committed since the late 1980s. Vardanyan has been dealt with separately, but many in Armenia see all the cases as show trials. Only the main Azerbaijani state TV channel has been allowed to film the trials. Azerbaijan insists it is complying with international legal standards, and that it has a responsibility to hold to account those suspected of having committed war crimes. But last month, the government in Baku ordered the closure of the local offices of the International Red Cross, the only international organisation with access to Armenian prisoners. The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the "unlawful detention and sham trials of Armenian hostages", calling for their immediate release. Vardanyan returns to court on Tuesday, but supporters fear his case will be overshadowed by a historic peace deal taking shape between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The details are yet to be made public but officials say the draft text does not include the issue of the prisoners on trial or the right of ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to return to their homes. The failure to mention the prisoners has prompted criticism of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government at home and abroad. But Arsen Torosyan, the MP from the Armenian governing party Civil Contract believes this issue needs to be solved separately. "It is a peace treaty between the conflicting countries with a long history of hatred between each other. I personally think that only completing or signing of this peace treaty can make ground to solve the issue of political prisoners. I don't see any other way to do it." Vardanyan has warned this is a mistake. "This is not the trial of just me and 15 others – this is the trial of all Armenians," he said in a voice message to supporters. "If you don't understand this – it is a big tragedy because this is not the end of the story, not the end of the conflict, it's only the next stage of the conflict, for all sides." — BBC
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Billionaire on trial in Azerbaijan who risks being left behind by peace deal
Ruben Vardanyan is one of Armenia's richest men, but his millions are of little use now that he is facing a possible life term in jail in neighbouring Azerbaijan. The two neighbouring Caucasus countries have agreed the text of a historic peace deal to end decades long conflict over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, but Vardanyan and 15 other former ethnic Armenian leaders are not part of the agreement. They are on trial in a military court in Baku, accused of war crimes dating back decades. Vardanyan, a 56-year-old Russian-Armenian entrepreneur, is facing 42 charges including planning and waging war, mercenary activities and terrorism. A picture of him in court appeared to show bruises on his forehead and there have been allegations of torture, denied by Azerbaijan which insists his rights have been respected in custody. It marks a dramatic downfall for a man who made his fortune in Russia and once rubbed shoulders with celebrities such as George and Amal Clooney. He set up Russia's first investment bank back in the early 1990s, and as founder of the country's prestigious business management school "Skolkovo" he enjoyed the reputation of a progressive visionary, a Western-friendly voice in Russia's business community in the 2000's. But a 2019 investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project said that employees of his investment bank built a financial system laundering billions of dollars in the mid-2000s. Vardanyan denied being aware of any criminal activities, and was never legally charged. He spent hundreds of millions of dollars on philanthropic projects in Armenia, and transformed a quiet town in the snow-capped mountains in the north of the country, setting up a school with the aim of attracting students from all over the world. "This school was imagined as an institution that would bring Armenia to the world and the world to Armenia," says Adam Armanski, the principal of the United World Colleges (UWC) of Dilijan. Everything changed for Ruben Vardanyan in September 2022 when he decided to move to Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region that was historically populated by ethnic Armenians but part of Soviet Azerbaijan. Armenia and Azerbaijan had already fought two full scale wars over the region, which was internationally recognised as part of Azerbaijan. The first Karabakh war in the 1990s resulted in the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Azeris. Then, in 2020, Azerbaijan - backed by Turkey - regained control of big swathes of the lost territory, while the Karabakh enclave remained in the hands of ethnic Armenian separatists. Within months of Vardanyan's arrival Azerbaijani authorities blocked the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with the Republic of Armenia, subjecting the region's population to severe food shortages. Vardanyan renounced his Russian citizenship and became the de facto prime-minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Armenians call Artsakh. He used his name, contacts and the ability to speak fluent English to raise the awareness of the plight of Karabakh Armenians. "My father did more interviews with international media in three months than all the other Nagorno-Karabakh presidents in 30 years. The amount of attention this was receiving from the Western media clearly irritated Azerbaijan," his son David Vardanyan told the BBC. There had been speculation that Vardanyan had moved there to avoid international sanctions imposed on Russia's billionaires with links to the Kremlin. The government in Baku considered his decision to take up the position as illegal. His son insists he was driven by the desire to help local Armenians. "We had an argument on our last family holiday, I was completely against his decision, which was putting the entire family at risk. He said he would not be able to live with himself knowing he did nothing for the Armenians of Karabakh." His father's long-term friend Arman Jilavian said even the remotest of chances of helping ethnic Armenians remain in their ancestral land was enough for him. "Some would say this was irrational, some say this was super calculated political move. I think none is true," he says. In September 2023 Azerbaijan launched a military operation and took control of the entire territory in 24 hours. Nagorno-Karabakh's leaders capitulated and more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians were forced to leave their homes. Vardanyan was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities as he joined a mass exodus to Armenia. Azerbaijan arrests former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Armenians fear another war despite talk of peace Much of his time since has been spent in solitary confinement, his family says. He has already been on hunger strike twice, protesting at what he has called a lack of proper judicial process, amid allegations of torture. Fifteen other former Karabakh leaders are also being tried in Baku's military court for alleged war crimes committed since the late 1980s. Vardanyan has been dealt with separately, but many in Armenia see all the cases as show trials. Only the main Azerbaijani state TV channel has been allowed to film the trials. Azerbaijan insists it is complying with international legal standards, and that it has a responsibility to hold to account those suspected of having committed war crimes. But last month, the government in Baku ordered the closure of the local offices of the International Red Cross, the only international organisation with access to Armenian prisoners. The European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the "unlawful detention and sham trials of Armenian hostages", calling for their immediate release. Vardanyan returns to court on Tuesday, but supporters fear his case will be overshadowed by a historic peace deal taking shape between Armenia and Azerbaijan. The details are yet to be made public but officials say the draft text does not include the issue of the prisoners on trial or the right of ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to return to their homes. The failure to mention the prisoners has prompted criticism of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government at home and abroad. But Arsen Torosyan, the MP from the Armenian governing party Civil Contract believes this issue needs to be solved separately. "It is a peace treaty between the conflicting countries with a long history of hatred between each other. I personally think that only completing or signing of this peace treaty can make ground to solve the issue of political prisoners. I don't see any other way to do it." Vardanyan has warned this is a mistake. "This is not the trial of just me and 15 others – this is the trial of all Armenians," he said in a voice message to supporters. "If you don't understand this – it is a big tragedy because this is not the end of the story, not the end of the conflict, it's only the next stage of the conflict, for all sides."
BBC News
08-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Billionaire on trial in Azerbaijan who risks being left behind peace deal
Ruben Vardanyan is one of Armenia's richest men, but his millions are of little use now that he is facing a possible life term in jail in neighbouring two neighbouring Caucasus countries have agreed the text of a historic peace deal to end decades long conflict over the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, but Vardanyan and 15 other former ethnic Armenian leaders are not part of the are on trial in a military court in Baku, accused of war crimes dating back a 56-year-old Russian-Armenian entrepreneur, is facing 42 charges including planning and waging war, mercenary activities and terrorism. A picture of him in court appeared to show bruises on his forehead and there have been allegations of torture, denied by Azerbaijan which insists his rights have been respected in marks a dramatic downfall for a man who made his fortune in Russia and once rubbed shoulders with celebrities such as George and Amal set up Russia's first investment bank back in the early 1990s, and as founder of the country's prestigious business management school "Skolkovo" he enjoyed the reputation of a progressive visionary, a Western-friendly voice in Russia's business community in the 2000' a 2019 investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project said that employees of his investment bank built a financial system laundering billions of dollars in the denied being aware of any criminal activities, and was never legally spent hundreds of millions of dollars on philanthropic projects in Armenia, and transformed a quiet town in the snow-capped mountains in the north of the country, setting up a school with the aim of attracting students from all over the world."This school was imagined as an institution that would bring Armenia to the world and the world to Armenia," says Adam Armanski, the principal of the United World Colleges (UWC) of Dilijan. Everything changed for Ruben Vardanyan in September 2022 when he decided to move to Nagorno-Karabakh, a mountainous region that was historically populated by ethnic Armenians but part of Soviet and Azerbaijan had already fought two full scale wars over the region, which was internationally recognised as part of first Karabakh war in the 1990s resulted in the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of ethnic in 2020, Azerbaijan - backed by Turkey - regained control of big swathes of the lost territory, while the Karabakh enclave remained in the hands of ethnic Armenian months of Vardanyan's arrival Azerbaijani authorities blocked the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with the Republic of Armenia, subjecting the region's population to severe food renounced his Russian citizenship and became the de facto prime-minister of Nagorno-Karabakh, which Armenians call Artsakh. He used his name, contacts and the ability to speak fluent English to raise the awareness of the plight of Karabakh Armenians."My father did more interviews with international media in three months than all the other Nagorno-Karabakh presidents in 30 years. The amount of attention this was receiving from the Western media clearly irritated Azerbaijan," his son David Vardanyan told the had been speculation that Vardanyan had moved there to avoid international sanctions imposed on Russia's billionaires with links to the government in Baku considered his decision to take up the position as son insists he was driven by the desire to help local Armenians."We had an argument on our last family holiday, I was completely against his decision, which was putting the entire family at risk. He said he would not be able to live with himself knowing he did nothing for the Armenians of Karabakh." His father's long-term friend Arman Jilavian said even the remotest of chances of helping ethnic Armenians remain in their ancestral land was enough for him."Some would say this was irrational, some say this was super calculated political move. I think none is true," he September 2023 Azerbaijan launched a military operation and took control of the entire territory in 24 leaders capitulated and more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians were forced to leave their was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities as he joined a mass exodus to Armenia. Much of his time since has been spent in solitary confinement, his family has already been on hunger strike twice, protesting at what he has called a lack of proper judicial process, amid allegations of other former Karabakh leaders are also being tried in Baku's military court for alleged war crimes committed since the late has been dealt with separately, but many in Armenia see all the cases as show the main Azerbaijani state TV channel has been allowed to film the insists it is complying with international legal standards, and that it has a responsibility to hold to account those suspected of having committed war last month, the government in Baku ordered the closure of the local offices of the International Red Cross, the only international organisation with access to Armenian European Parliament has adopted a resolution on the "unlawful detention and sham trials of Armenian hostages", calling for their immediate returns to court on Tuesday, but supporters fear his case will be overshadowed by a historic peace deal taking shape between Armenia and details are yet to be made public but officials say the draft text does not include the issue of the prisoners on trial or the right of ethnic Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh to return to their failure to mention the prisoners has prompted criticism of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's government at home and Arsen Torosyan, the MP from the Armenian governing party Civil Contract believes this issue needs to be solved separately."It is a peace treaty between the conflicting countries with a long history of hatred between each other. I personally think that only completing or signing of this peace treaty can make ground to solve the issue of political prisoners. I don't see any other way to do it."Vardanyan has warned this is a mistake."This is not the trial of just me and 15 others – this is the trial of all Armenians," he said in a voice message to supporters. "If you don't understand this – it is a big tragedy because this is not the end of the story, not the end of the conflict, it's only the next stage of the conflict, for all sides."
