Member of the Security Council, former head of the Presidential Administration, academician Ramiz Mehdiyev has been brought to criminal responsibility, and a pre-trial detention measure of 4 months of house arrest has been chosen against him.
In the Main Investigation Department of the State Security Service, charges have been brought against Mehdiyev for treason (Article 274 of the Criminal Code), forcible seizure of power or forcible retention of power (Article 278), and legalization of criminally obtained funds (Article 193-1).
Details of Ramiz Mehdiyev's actions aimed at seizing state power and his treason have become known. He prepared a plan to carry out a coup d'état with Russia's support and proposed it to Moscow through his own channels.
In his plan, Ramiz Mehdiyev proposed the creation of an institution in the format of a temporary State Council for the transitional period after forcibly seizing state power. This plan envisioned the 87-year-old former bureaucrat himself becoming the leader. According to information, Mehdiyev also shared information with Russia regarding the individuals who would be represented in the State Council he would lead.
According to an informed source, in Dushanbe, where the presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia met, the Russian side itself informed the Azerbaijani side about Ramiz Mehdiyev's proposal and his network's plan.
The 87-year-old Ramiz Mehdiyev has already exhausted Russia with his continuous requests and insistence. Therefore, Russia completely rejected Mehdiyev, who promised no prospects, and itself informed official Baku about his plan and network.
Ramiz Mehdiyev headed the Presidential Administration for 24 years (1995-2019). For this reason, he had the opportunity to intervene in and control a number of areas: he was considered one of the main founders of state governance, personnel policy, and internal political technologies; the appointment of ministers, deputy ministers, executive heads, the placement of individuals in high positions in law enforcement agencies and the judicial system, and the granting of deputy mandates in parliamentary elections took place with Ramiz Mehdiyev's blessing.
Currently, it is no secret to anyone that Ramiz Mehdiyev's personnel are present in various branches of power.
It is interesting, whose names did Mehdiyev, who was preparing to carry out a coup d'état, include in the secret State Council he created?
In his statement to Modern.az, former deputy, chairman of the Civic Solidarity Party, Sabir Rustamkhanli, stated that although the 'big' Ramiz Mehdiyev has left his post, the 'small' Mehdiyevs continue to remain in certain structures, organizations, enterprises, and institutions:
“I do not want to speak extensively about this. Because I spoke my mind in the National Assembly at the time. Now his henchmen, people who once served him, have started to criticize Mehdiyev. They are acting like chameleons. We are witnessing a very disgusting scene. Therefore, I do not want to join this process. I can only say that the 'big' Ramiz Mehdiyev is gone, but the 'small' Ramiz Mehdiyevs have remained in certain enterprises, institutions, and organizations. In any case, his extensions and protégés are numerous.”
However, security expert Ilham Ismayil emphasized that investigations should be conducted, especially concerning executive authorities:
“Considering that he was effectively the head of the Presidential Administration for 24 years, from 1995 to 2019. And the departments subordinate to the Presidential Administration are numerous. Matters related to executive authorities always passed through Ramiz Mehdiyev's hands. By 'extensions,' the structures that were within his authority should be investigated. We are not saying that he could appoint a defense minister at this very moment. But it is likely that he had some influence in the appointment of the interior minister. However, his direct line was related to executive structures. Former executive heads, and of course, if there are any survivors among them, people with whom he had good relations, should be investigated. Again, there are many departments in the Presidential Administration. Wherever Ramiz Mehdiyev's influence reached, that area should be investigated. It is true that as the head of the Presidential Administration, his influence reached many places. He was able to interfere in areas that were not his direct responsibility. But it is a fact that he had certain limitations both during the era of Heydar Aliyev and the current President Ilham Aliyev. Nor can it be said that everyone in the structures we mentioned above was complicit with him. They should simply investigate to a certain extent as a version. According to the information provided, Ramiz Mehdiyev even considered creating a temporary State Council. It is likely that there were specific names there. The investigation must determine who comprised that council. Naturally, that council could have consisted of people close to him. In any case, in addition to the investigation, operational work must also be carried out. Investigation and operational measures must be carried out in a complex and coordinated manner so that hidden aspects also come to light. One of the articles there was known from the beginning. That is, he engaged in illegal entrepreneurship during his tenure. No one doubts that he owned a large part of "Bank BTB". His ties with Russia were also known.”
