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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