BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 14. The modern system of international relations has already gone beyond the classical balance of power models. Tanks, economic sanctions, and open political ultimatums alone are not enough to influence states. One of the main weapons of the 21st century is information, and the other is the human factor. Foreign special services combine these two elements to form "special influence networks" in countries in their spheres of interest. The irrefutable evidence and the one in the video footage and audio recordings released by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan about a group of individuals accused of treason and other crimes show that these mechanisms have been systematically and purposefully established in the post-Soviet space, including Azerbaijan, for many years.
The essence of this strategy is simple: to influence not the state, but individuals in important positions in the state. In international practice, this approach is called "elite capture". The most effective way for foreign power centers is not to destroy state institutions, but to bring into their orbit of influence individuals who really influence these institutions. In this case, the formal sovereignty of the state is preserved, but political decisions are already formed through the prism of foreign interests.
To understand how this mechanism works in the Azerbaijani context, it is enough to pay attention to Ramiz Mehdiyev, who controlled the humanitarian, ideological and information spheres for many years, and the network formed around him. During his tenure, he not only used administrative resources, but also established control over the intellectual space. Academic circles and the expert environment were brought into a single ideological framework. Positions expressed against him were either marginalized or silenced. This wasn't accidental. The main condition for special influence networks is the monopolization of the intellectual and information environment because when society cannot receive information from alternative sources, it accepts the narratives presented to it as "objective reality". This creates ideal conditions for forming public opinion in accordance with the interests of foreign powers.
Several parallel lines are observed in the activities of such networks. First, the promotion of loyal figures in the state apparatus. Second, the creation of circles in the academic and media environment that operate under the name of "experts," but in fact promote foreign interests. Third, geopolitical manipulation in the information space - suspicion, fear, and distrust of the Western world are instilled, while alternative power centers are presented as "fairer", "more sincere" partners. The dangerous side of this mechanism is its invisibility. For society, these processes may appear as political pluralism, freedom of thought, or simply public discussion. However, behind these discussions lies purposeful coordination and external direction.
The activities of Mehdiyev and his "comrades in arms" - Ali Karimli, Ganimat Zahidov, Fuad Gahramanli, and others should be read precisely through this prism. The network they built over the years created fertile ground not only for the struggle against the authorities, but also for the operation of external influence mechanisms within the country. In particular, the phenomenon of the "old guard" played an important role in this process. Soviet-era management reflexes, historical suspicion of the West, and ideological inertia made these individuals more open to external manipulation. The main goal for these people was not the strategic interests of the state, but the protection of their personal positions and spheres of influence. Foreign special services used these weaknesses to turn them into tools for their own game. The result of the "elite capture" strategy is different from classic coups d'état. Here there are no barricades and military equipment. They are replaced by memorandums, expert reports, narratives formed in the media and technologies of "civil protest". These processes are presented to society as democratic change, but the real goal is to change the geopolitical course of the country and put it in the orbit of another power center.
Failure to detect such networks timely poses a serious risk for the strategic stability and sovereign decision-making ability of the state. Therefore, the issue doesn't end with bringing specific individuals to legal responsibility. The main issue is for society to understand how these mechanisms work and to form institutional immunity that will prevent them in the future, because in the modern world, states must protect not only their borders, but also decision-making centers. Failure to capture these centers, in fact, turns a country into a political tool of other powers, even if it remains formally independent. In this context, the plans of foreign special services, their product Ramiz Mehdiyev and his network weren't allowed to be implemented in Azerbaijan. The State Security Service destroyed the network of influence established by foreign special services within the country, fundamentally neutralizing their attempt to seize the decision-making mechanism of the state.