Azerbaijan, Baku, March 28 / Trend, M. Aliyev /
Employees of Azerbaijani national security bodies celebrate their professional holiday on March 28.
On Monday, the National Security Ministry's employees visited the Alley of Honor, where they paid tribute and laid a wreath at the tomb of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev, who made inestimable contribution in forming the National Security Ministry in the years of independence as a highly professional structure protecting the country's national and state interests.
The ministry's employees also paid tribute to the outstanding scientist-ophthalmologist, academician Zarifa Aliyeva and laid flowers at her grave.
Later the ministry's employees visited the Alley of Martyrs, where they paid tribute to the Azerbaijani sons and daughters, who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for independence and territorial integrity of the country, laid flowers at their graves and a wreath at the monument "Eternal Flame".
By order No.157 dated March 28, 1919, signed by military minister Samad bey Mehmandarov, and chief of general staff Mammad bey Sulkevich, intelligence and counter-intelligence sector had been established within the Headquarters of the Military Ministry.
During 1920-1940s, thousands of Azerbaijanis underwent to the physical and moral terror, committed by the Extraordinary Commission of Azerbaijan, later the Azerbaijan State Political Department and the Commissariat for Internal Affairs, which served the interests of the empire and acted as the administrative tool, which strengthened Bolshevik regime.
Over 40,000 Azerbaijanis were annihilated by the Extraordinary Commission of Azerbaijan from the May 1920 till early 1921 and 27 thousand 854 people were sentenced to the execution by shooting by the Commissariat for Internal Affairs in 1934-1938.
On the whole, over 400,000 people were executed as a result of repressions in 1920-1950s, and more than 500,000 of our compatriots were sent in exile from the country. Eyyub Khanbudagov, Novruz Rzayev and others, who spoke against the russification policy and openly expressed their protests, were terminated at that very period. Mammad Amin Rasulzadeh, Alimardan bey Topchubashov, Mirza Bala Mammadzadeh, Rustam bey Shafibayov, Abdulvahab Yurdsever, Naghi Sheykhzamanli, Mammad Safikurdski and other prominent sons of Azerbaijan, who struggled for the independence were forced to live in emigration.
From the end of 1950s, great amount of work was done for the nationalization of the security bodies and restoration of historical justice, as well as for the legal and moral rehabilitation of repressed people. This process is directly connected with the name of Heydar Aliyev, the prominent statesman, who devoted most part of his life to the activity in security bodies. During the years of his leadership in the counter-intelligence department of the State Security Committee, especially after 1964 when he was appointed as one of the committee leaders, the process of attraction of the national specialists, their preparation and appointment to the leading positions in the committee had begun. During Heydar Aliyev's career as one of the leaders of the Republic and the Soviet Union he always paid a great attention to the activity of the special services of Azerbaijan.
After the Republic of Azerbaijan restored its independence in October, 1991, the Ministry of National Security of the Republic of Azerbaijan was established on the material-technical and personnel basis of the State Security Committee on November 1, 1991. Within a short period of time, representatives of other nationalities have left the Ministry and Azerbaijan, the process of staffing Ministry only by the national specialists had begun. Not only the name and the personnel of the security body had changed, but primary change the Ministry faced was its mission and duties.
While the potential and leverages of the State Security Committee were focused on ensuring interests of the Soviet state, the tasks of the Ministry of National Security consist of preventing intelligence and destructive-subversive activity of foreign special services and organizations, criminal groups and individuals targeting the sovereignty of the Republic of Azerbaijan, its constitutional order, economic, defense, scientific and technical potential, and other national interests. Following the restoration of the state independence, significant achievements were made for revealing and neutralizing intelligence and destructive-subversive activities of foreign special services in our country. Besides, the ministry fulfils important tasks such as protection of state secret, struggle against corruption, terrorism, circulation of narcotic psychotropic and radioactive substances, illegal trafficking of fire-arms and other military equipments, as well as against more dangerous kinds of transnational organized crime. In this respect, cooperating on bilateral and multilateral basis with tens of foreign special services, Ministry of National Security exchanges information on international terrorism, transnational organized crime and other spheres.
The Ministry of National Security plays particular role in Azerbaijan's involvement in the international ant-terror coalition. The detainment and extradition to the foreign countries of the internationally searched terrorists, the prohibition of the activity of organizations functioning under the humanitarian cover, but assisting to the terrorist structures, the freeze of different bank accounts related to the terrorists and other prominent results were achieved due to the professionalism and active work of the employees of the Ministry of National Security.
The Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on National Security, Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence, Statute of the Ministry of National Security and other legal acts of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as legal acts of the executive bodies, and international agreements to which Azerbaijan is a party form the legal foundation of the activity of the Ministry of National Security. This activity is carried out in accordance with the principles of humanism, responsibility before the state and society, neutrality, as well as with supervision of the human rights and freedoms.
