Two prominent members of the UK House of Lords, Lord McNicol and Lord Mott, have come under scrutiny after participating in a paid-for trip to Azerbaijan, where they laid a wreath at the grave of former president Heydar Aliyev. The trip, organized with the support of prominent local businessman Tahir Gözel, is part of a growing trend of UK peers visiting Azerbaijan, often at the invitation of its government.

While the trips were registered and there is no indication of rule-breaking, human rights organizations have raised concerns over the potential legitimization of Azerbaijan’s authoritarian government. President Ilham Aliyev, who has been in power since 2003, has faced international criticism for suppressing political opposition, persecuting journalists, and engaging in ethnic cleansing, particularly in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

The Guardian and Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) investigation revealed that several peers have acted as election observers in Azerbaijan, with some praising the country’s elections despite concerns over their fairness. In one case, Labour peer David Evans had business dealings with Azerbaijan’s state-run oil company.

The UK government has criticized the upcoming February 2024 presidential election in Azerbaijan, describing it as taking place in a “restrictive environment” with no genuine political alternatives. The increasing involvement of UK peers in Azerbaijan raises questions about the ethical implications of supporting a regime accused of severe human rights violations.