Azerbaijani MP Elchin Mirzabayli comments on the issue, while list of coup plotters is reported.
Azerbaijani MP Elchin Mirzabayli comments on the issue, while list of coup plotters is reported.
By: Tehran Tapdigov, from Baku / Azerbaijan
Ramiz Mehdiyev, who served as the Head of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan from 1995 to 2019, has been arrested on charges of treason. The court has officially launched a criminal case against him, deciding to place Mehdiyev under four months of house arrest pending investigation for particularly serious offenses.
The 87-year-old Mehdiyev, who held high-ranking positions for decades, is accused of treason, attempting to seize power by force, and laundering funds obtained through criminal activity.
Following the arrest order, discussions have emerged about stripping Mehdiyev of his remaining honorary positions and revoking his state awards. But what led to his inevitable arrest?
Among the details reported by Azerbaijani media, the most striking is the alleged downing of an AZAL aircraft on December 25 of last year. It is claimed that Mehdiyev was the mastermind behind the attack, allegedly ordering it through Russian intermediaries with the intention of targeting the president’s plane.
During his long years in power, Mehdiyev is said to have gathered around himself a number of influential politicians, with the ultimate goal of seizing control of the state. The investigation is ongoing, and Mehdiyev’s family members have been banned from leaving the country. Several other politicians have also been implicated in the case.
Below is the reported list:
- Former Minister of Foreign Affairs – Elmar Mammadyarov
- Former Head of Department at the Presidential Administration – Ali Hasanov
- Former Minister of Culture – Abulfaz Garayev
- Former Presidential Spokesperson – Azer Gasimov
- Former Minister of National Security – Eldar Mahmudov
- Former Head of the International Bank of Azerbaijan – Jahangir Hajiyev
- Former Minister of Transport – Ziya Mammadov
- Former Member of Parliament – Elton Mammadov
Azerbaijani MP Elchin Mirzabayli, commenting on the issue, stated that Ramiz Mehdiyev had long undermined efforts to modernize the country’s political system:
“Mehdiyev ensured that every step meant to serve the development of Azerbaijan’s political system remained purely formal. He worked tirelessly to sabotage reformist initiatives, discredit genuine progress, and act as an external brake on the system.”
Mirzabayli added that Mehdiyev sought to weaken Azerbaijan’s legal, spiritual, and ideological ties with the Turkic world, and to disrupt the continuity of the nation’s statehood traditions:
“For years, Mehdiyev built a false image of himself based on fabricated myths. When that illusion began to collapse, he resorted to threats and intimidation to silence those who exposed him. When that failed, he chose the path of betrayal.”
According to Mirzabayli, Mehdiyev and his circle targeted the core values of Azerbaijani identity—the nation’s faith, culture, and ideological foundations represented by the three-colored national flag.
“For decades, patriotic and progressive individuals who defended national unity, bridged ideological divides, and stood as guardians of social harmony have faced Mehdiyev’s hostility. Now, this chapter has come to an end. The full truth about Mehdiyev is being revealed, down to its smallest details. The investigation will undoubtedly shed light on all aspects of his political network and expose every participant in his pyramid of corruption and betrayal. Like all those who stand against the Azerbaijani state, they too will face the justice they deserve.”
What happens next?
It is widely expected that more arrests will follow as the investigation deepens. The treason charges may extend beyond Mehdiyev to include several other political figures involved in his alleged network. Known as the “Gray Cardinal”, Mehdiyev is also often referred to as “Azerbaijan’s Fethullah Gülen”.