BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 12. Investigative measures are being carried out in connection with criminal acts directed against state power, Trend reports via the press service of the State Security Service of Azerbaijan.
As a result of the comprehensive measures taken by the State Security Service to prevent the provocative-disruptive activities of foreign special service agencies against the security, national interests, and benefits of Azerbaijan, concerns have emerged regarding the actions of certain individuals from the Republic of Azerbaijan, including Ramiz Mehdiyev, Abbas Abbasov, and Ali Karimli, who are suspected of engaging in activities intended to unlawfully seize state power and alter the constitutional framework by force.
According to the indictment filed against the accused in the criminal case, as the co-founders and leaders of the organization, which was created by special service agencies of the foreign country to interfere with political processes in Azerbaijan and registered in a foreign country on July 4, 2012 under the name “Union of Russian Azerbaijani Organizations” and called “Union of Billionaires,” Abbas Abbasov and Rustan Ibrahimbeyov, as well as Ramiz Mehdiyev, chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP) Ali Karimli, and party members - Fuad Gahramanli, Ganimat Zahidov, and others, conspired to forcibly seize state power and forcibly change the current constitutional state structure.
Thus, after they creation of an organization called the “National Council of Democratic Forces” (National Council), which nominated Rustam Ibrahimbeyov, a foreign national, as a candidate for the Presidential elections of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2013, they acted with the financial assistance and other forms of organizational support of foreign special service agencies to commit mass riots, disobey lawful demands of government representatives, disrupt public order, transport, enterprises, departments and organizations in order to forcibly seize state power, and also directed the funds in the amount of 933.828,40 manats they received through APFP member Ibrahim Mammad and others, as well as directed funds received from Ramiz Mehdiyev and Abbas Abbasov to attract people from various regions of the republic to commit the aforementioned acts.
According to the technical evidence attached to the materials of the criminal case, members of the organization called the “Billionaires’ Union” were instructed to send Azerbaijani nationals, who were working under their subordination or otherwise under their patronage in a foreign country during the 2013 presidential elections, to Azerbaijan to summon their relatives and close friends in Azerbaijan to ensure that they were used in rallies and mass riots in accordance with the instructions of the foreign special service agencies.
It was revealed that as a result of prior negotiations in accordance with the request of the authorized persons of the relevant foreign state, in a secret letter addressed by the “National Council” to the leadership of this foreign state in 2013, there was a request to support the activities of the “council” and a proposal to put pressure on the Azerbaijani state to implement the “reforms” carried out in that country in Azerbaijan as well.
According to the aforementioned accusation, Ganimat Zahidov, since the beginning of 2013, has been secretly communicating and negotiating with representatives of foreign special service agencies on behalf of Ali Karimli, appealing for the use of the broad organizational and special capabilities of foreign special service agencies in bringing him to power in the Republic of Azerbaijan, promising in return, listing specific details, that the strategic interests of the foreign state in Azerbaijan will be ensured, and the parties also agreed that if Ali Karimli comes to power, the Republic of Azerbaijan will gradually become a full member of the Collective Security Treaty Organization.
At the same time, according to the indictment, Ali Karimli, continuing his criminal acts in accordance with the general agreement reached in advance with the aforementioned individuals, during the Azerbaijani citizens’ march in Baku on the night of July 14-15, 2020, in support of the army and against the aggressive war waged by Armenia in the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, instructed Fuad Gahramanli and others to form with party representatives small groups and join the marchers and then create a chaotic situation by replacing patriotic slogans with provocative calls, and thus taking advantage of this situation and controlling the crowd, seize the administrative buildings of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the "Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting" CJSC, including announcing the seizure of power through the mass media.
In addition, Ramiz Mehdiyev submitted written material prepared in August-September 2025, in a foreign language under the title “Proposals on the Restructuring of the State Administration System,” which contained secret plans and directions of action against the state power, to Ali Karimli on September 27, 2025 through his assistant Eldar Amirov and others, in order to jointly agree on the issues stipulated in that document. On October 3, 2025, he sent the final edited copy of the article through employees of the “Sharg-Garb” OJSC, which he actually owned, to the senior officials of the special service agencies of the foreign state with whom he had previously personally contacted, and this transaction was technically registered.
By these actions, Ramiz Mehdiyev took actions aimed at seizing state power with the help of foreign special service agencies and forcibly changing the constitutional structure and committed treason by assisting representatives of a foreign state contrary to the interests of the state security of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
In addition, Ramiz Mehdiyev legalized more than 17,000,000 manats of criminally obtained funds until October 13, 2025.
For their participation in the listed criminal acts, Abbas Abbasov, Ali Karimli, Fuad Gahramanli, Ibrahim Mammad and Ganimat Zahidov have been held responsible as accused persons under Articles 278.1 (actions aimed at the forcible seizure or forcible retention of power, as well as forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state), Eldar Amirov 32.5 and 278.1 (assistance to actions aimed at the forcible seizure or forcible retention of power, as well as forcible change of the constitutional structure of the state), and Ramiz Mehdiyev 193-1.3.2 (legalization of a large amount of property obtained through crime), 274 (treason), and 278.1 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Abbas Abbasov, Fuad Gahramanli, and Ganimat Zahidov were declared wanted, and the court chose a preventive measure of arrest in absentia because they are currently outside of the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan, hiding from the investigation.
Investigations into the criminal case are continuing.
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