Individual Corruption

According to the US Department of State 2010, corruption and impunity are pervasive in the police force. Traffic police, in particular, are notorious for soliciting bribes. In spite of efforts to reduce bribe taking by traffic police further, such as substantial pay rises to traffic police officers, citizens continue to report being solicited to pay bribes, although less frequently than in previous years. Similarly, in Transparency International's Global Corruption Barometer 2010, households consider the police to be the most corrupt public institution in Azerbaijan. According to the US Department of State 2010, police often levy spurious, informal fines for traffic and other minor violations and extract protection money from local residents. During 2010, the Interior ministry reported that it dismissed and brought criminal cases against six police officers.

Global Integrity 2008 reports that citizens continue to pay bribes to passport officials, despite the new legislation accelerating the waiting period from one month to one week.

Business Corruption

Business executives surveyed by the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012 report that the police cannot be consistently relied upon to enforce law and order. This is further corroborated by the World Bank & IFC Enterprise Surveys 2009, which reveals that a substantial part of the surveyed companies pay for security in Azerbaijan, while a comparatively smaller part identifies crime, theft and disorder as major constraints to doing business in the country.

Political Corruption

According to Global Integrity 2009, the law enforcement agencies are not sufficiently protected from political interference. In fact, the investigative and enforcement work of agencies, such as the Interior Ministry or Prosecutor's Office, is commonly influenced by political actors or the government, especially in high profile cases. Similarly, appointments to the law enforcement agencies are often based on criteria other than professional, such as party loyalties. Moreover, according to Global Integrity 2009, law enforcement officials generally enjoy protection from criminal investigations.

Global Integrity 2008 reports that while corruption is still endemic in Azerbaijan, citizens are sometimes successful in claiming their rights. A recent example involves an opposition activist from the Nakchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan (NAR), Intigam Ismayilov, who refused to pay a USD 6 bribe to the local police department to get his citizenship identification card. When Ismayilov complained to the Interior Ministry of NAR, he was arrested and sentenced to 15 days in jail. However, after the media got hold of the story, Ismayilov was released after having spent three days in prison. Consequently, Zakir Mammadov, chief of the relevant department of the Interior Ministry of NAR, was dismissed.

Frequency

World Economic Forum: Global Competitiveness Report 2011-2012:
- Business executives give the police in Azerbaijan a score of 3.8 on a 7-point scale (1 'cannot be relied upon at all' and 7 'can always be relied upon').

Transparency International: Global Corruption Barometer 2010:
- 55.4% of households who had contact with the police in 2009 report to have paid a bribe.

- Citizens give the police a score of 3.6 on a 5-point scale (1 'not at all corrupt' and 5 'extremely corrupt').

The World Bank & IFC: Enterprise Surveys 2009:
- Nearly 62% of companies surveyed pay for security in Azerbaijan.

- 10.5% of companies surveyed identify crime, theft and disorder as a major constraint on doing business.

Global Integrity: Azerbaijan Country Report 2008:
- A passport can be purchased within 5-7 days for a USD 209 bribe, plus USD 49 to cover the official fee.