2025
2025
2025-10-22
One of the most influential figures in Azerbaijan’s political system, Ramiz Mehdiyev, former head of the presidential administration and former president of the National Academy of Sciences, has been accused of state treason and attempting to seize power by force.
On October 14, pro-government Azerbaijani media reported that the Sabail District Court of Baku court ruled to place the 87-year-old Mehdiyev under four months of house arrest. Ramiz Mehdiyev has been charged under Articles 278.1 (Actions aimed at seizing state power), 274 (High treason), and 193-1.3.2 (Laundering of property obtained through criminal means) of the Criminal Code.
Government sources claim that Mehdiyev may be deprived of his real estate, as the charges brought against him allow for the confiscation of property. In addition, the court may strip Mehdiyev of his honorary titles and state awards (he was awarded the “Istiglal” Order in 2008, the “Sharaf” Order in 2013, the “Shohrat” Order in 2018, and the “Heydar Aliyev” Order in 2019).
According to Azerbaijani media reports, travel restrictions have been imposed on all members of Mehdiyev’s family. These restrictions apply to Mehdiyev’s wife, Galina Mehdiyeva (who, according to some sources, is of Armenian descent), his son, Teymur Mehdiyev, and his daughter, Kamila Aliyeva, as well as Mehdiyev’s son-in-law, former MP Ilham Aliyev.
Coup attempt with the help of Russia
On October 16, the pro-government Azerbaijani news agency APA published an article titled “How Ramiz Mehdiyev’s Coup Plot Was Exposed.” The article claimed that Mehdiyev had allegedly planned a coup with Russia’s support, but the Russian side informed Baku about it.
According to the outlet, Mehdiyev prepared a plan for a state coup with Russian backing and submitted it to Moscow through his own channels. Moreover, he reportedly sought to take advantage of tensions in Azerbaijan–Russia relations following the December 25, 2024 incident, when an “AZAL” aircraft was shot down in Russian airspace.
Through his longtime contacts, Mehdiyev conveyed to Moscow that the coup plan had already been elaborated and that he relied on Russian support. He proposed establishing a temporary governing body — a Provisional State Council — to lead the transition period after the power seizure, with the 87-year-old former official himself heading the council.
APA’s source claimed that the Kremlin informed the Azerbaijani side about Mehdiyev’s proposal and his network’s activities during a meeting between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Russian President Vladimir Putin on October 9 in Dushanbe. The outlet added that the 87-year-old Mehdiyev had apparently “exhausted Russia’s patience with his persistent requests and repeated attempts to seek support.” As a result, Russia fully abandoned him informed about his plan and network to the Azerbaijani authorities.
APA argues that Ramiz Mehdiyev’s closeness to Russia has always been known. Even during the Soviet era, he was known as a member of Moscow’s agent network. For many years, Mehdiyev used his influence in the Azerbaijani government to help “friends of Russia”—officials loyal to Moscow—advance in government, parliament, and media positions.
Before the 44-day war, pro-Russian officials were removed from their positions in Azerbaijan, and Mehdiyev was also dismissed from his post. Afterward, when he became President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Mehdiyev did not abandon intrigues. He used the Academy for his political purposes, creating an unbearable environment there; nearly all institutes under ANAS demanded his resignation.
However, APA does not explain how Mehdiyev, described as a “member of Moscow’s spy network since Soviet times,” managed to hold the position of head of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan from 1995 to 2019 and enjoy the trust of Heydar Aliyev and later Ilham Aliyev.
Was Ramiz Mehdiyev planning to assassinate Ilham Aliyev?
Following APA’s publication, Azerbaijani media continued their campaign against Mehdiyev, releasing “new details.” According to Vesti Baku, the alleged coup attempt against President Ilham Aliyev had been planned long before the December 2024 events (the “AZAL” plane incident). The source claimed that Mehdiyev still had influence over the editorial policies of leading media outlets and maintained a loyal group in parliament ready to support a “temporary government” in case of crisis.
The key element of the scenario was reportedly the plane crash, which was meant to serve as the “signal for action.” According to the report, in December 2024, a “tragic incident” was planned involving the presidential aircraft carrying Ilham Aliyev, designed to appear as an attack by a Ukrainian drone. The plan aimed to plunge the country into panic and chaos, after which a “state of emergency” would be declared.
According to the source, the plan was coordinated through Russian military circles. One key link was General Najmeddin Sadigov, long regarded as “Moscow’s man” in Baku. He was tasked with ensuring that Russian military personnel would carry out the sabotage by providing technical support, including disabling GPS and transmitting false signals.
At the same time, media outlets controlled by Mehdiyev’s networks were preparing an information attack — preparing reports about a “mysterious attack,” a “provisional security xouncil,” and a “transition of power.” The source says lists of “new ministers” had even been drawn up.
The operation, however, failed: the perpetrators made a mistake. Instead of hitting the presidential plane, they struck a civilian aircraft of the Azerbaijani airlines that had flown the same route 30 minutes earlier. After that, the source said, Moscow quickly tried to change the plan, present the incident as a technical error, and “partly transmit the data.”
The most dramatic moment, according to the same leak, occurred later during the meeting in Dushanbe. There, Russian President Vladimir Putin informed Ilham Aliyev that Russia had “thwarted the assassination attempt” and provided operational information, including the name of an agent operating in Azerbaijan.
By the way, on the day of the AZAL plane crash, Azerbaijan’s independent Turan news agency reported on the issues with Aliyev’s presidential aircraft. The publication stated that Ilham Aliyev’s plane had experienced technical interference on December 25, 2024, while en route to St. Petersburg for an informal summit of CIS leaders. Later, Turan retracted the information and faced attacks from the state propaganda machine.
Specifically, the pro-government Azerbaijani outlet Caliber.az, in its publication titled “A ‘Sensation’ That Never Happened,” accused the Turan news agency, calling the earlier report about Aliyev’s plane “sheer nonsense and lies.”
Notably, a few days later, on February 13, the Turan news agency announced it was closing because it could no longer operate under “ongoing financial constraints.”
By the war, pro-government Azerbaijani sources emphasize that Mehdiyev’s house arrest sends a clear message to his entourage and to those who support his ideas. Among Ramiz Mehdiyev’s close associates are former foreign minister Elmar Mammadyarov, former head of a department in the Presidential Administration Ali Hasanov, former minister of culture Abulfaz Garaev, former activist of the youth organization of the People’s Front party Azer Gasimov, and former minister of national security Eldar Mahmudov. Mehdiyev’s “team” also included Kamal Aliyev, who was dismissed from the judicial system, former minister of transport Ziya Mammadov, as well as MPs Zahid Oruj, Malahat Ibrahimkhan, other legislators, and several officials from various government agencies.
This can be interpreted as a possible signal of further arrests. Azerbaijani media have already reported that following Mehdiyev’s detention, former minister of national security Eldar Mahmudov will also be held accountable.
Who is Ramiz Mehdiyev?
From the late Soviet period until the 1990s, Ramiz Mehdiyev was among former President Heydar Aliyev’s most trusted associates. In February 1994, Heydar Aliyev appointed him as head of a department in the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, and in February 1995, as head of the Presidential Administration. That same year, he was elected a member of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) of Azerbaijan.
Under Ilham Aliyev’s presidency, Mehdiyev maintained control over ideological policy and the security apparatus for many years, ensuring the continuity of the Aliyev political legacy. Following Heydar Aliyev’s death, he helped Ilham Aliyev—first elected president in the October 15, 2003 elections—consolidate his power. Mehdiyev held the position of head of the Presidential Administration until 2019. From 2019 to 2022, he served as president of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan.
As head of the Presidential Administration, Mehdiyev was not only an official but also an ideologue and a pillar of the political system. His influence was particularly strong in the security apparatus and the media sphere. Mehdiyev was regarded as the “grey cardinal” of Azerbaijani politics and was widely seen as a pro-Russian figure. Azerbaijani media often described him as the head of the “fifth column” and as “Russia’s man” in Azerbaijan. In October 2019, Ilham Aliyev dismissed Ramiz Mehdiyev from his position as հead of the Presidential Administration, awarding him the Heydar Aliyev Order and gradually removing him from the country’s political scene. According to various reports, he was also removed from his position as president of the Academy, as he was allegedly trying to maintain his influence in the political arena and actively participate in those processes.
On October 18, Ilham Aliyev dismissed Mehdiyev from the country’s Security Council (to which he had been appointed by the President’s decree of October 23, 2019).
Mehdiyev will also be expelled from Azerbaijan’s ruling New Azerbaijan party. “Ramiz Mehdiyev cannot remain a member of either the New Azerbaijan party or its Veterans’ Council. A person found guilty cannot remain within the party ranks,” stated Arif Rahimzadeh, Chairman of the Veterans’ Council, noting that in the coming days a meeting of the party’s relevant bodies will be held to discuss this matter.
In addition, there are discussions about stripping Ramiz Mehdiyev of the membership in the National Academy of Sciences. “We too regret the recent events. The matter will be considered following the court’s decision,” said the Academy’s President Isa Habibbeyli.
Reactions
The serious crimes and accusations now attributed to Ramiz Mehdiyev, once the most influential man in Azerbaijan’s political arena and often called the “gray cardinal,” have sparked intense debate in Azerbaijan. One could say that public opinion is divided.
Members of the opposition and civil society, who for years suffered from Mehdiyev’s political influence, view his prosecution as a manifestation of justice.
“We knew 10–20 years ago that he served Russia’s interests… Ramiz Mehdiyev was behind the policies that forced the intelligentsia and youth to leave the country. He carried all this out on Moscow’s orders,” said Sardar Jalaloglu, chairman of the Azerbaijan Democratic Party, adding that Mehdiyev should have been arrested long ago and that the current charges are fully justified.
On the other hand, a significant portion of the opposition and the public regard this case as a reflection of internal power struggles.
“The fact that Ramiz Mehdiyev, one of the main architects of the current regime of corruption and repression, is accused of serious crimes at this age is yet another proof of the regime’s bankruptcy and self-deception,” wrote Ali Karimli, chairman of Azerbaijan’s opposition Popular Front Party, on his Facebook page. He stated that the regime “is devouring its own creators” and that Mehdiyev is now being punished “by the very monster (the regime) he helped found and co-authored.”
It is widely believed that Mehdiyev is targeted not so much for specific crimes, but for being a representative of the old elite. Many see his prosecution as symbolic of a generational shift in politics and a restructuring of the power hierarchy.
According to OC Media, this process reflects a sense of “revenge” by the new elite toward the departing intelligentsia. The outlet noted that Mehdiyev may have sought to regain some of his lost influence, but the idea that he would go as far as plotting Ilham Aliyev’s assassination seems rather unlikely.
It can be said that the situation around Mehdiyev marks a turning point in Azerbaijan’s political system. His case demonstrates that even in authoritarian regimes, figures long considered untouchable can eventually lose their influence and be pushed out of public and political life. The end of Mehdiyev’s political career under serious criminal charges also points to the emergence of a new balance of power within the ruling system and signals the beginning of significant changes in Azerbaijan’s political arena and power structure. Moreover, it indicates a tightening of political struggle methods in the country.