“GEGHARD”
SCIENTIFIC ANALYTICAL
FOUNDATION
2026
2026
2026-02-26
The National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, still recovering from the disgrace of entrenched corruption, has again appeared at the center of a scandal. Attendees at a meeting of the academy’s presidium—mostly elderly “academicians”—were caught in an unusual scene: many of them simply slept during a deadly dull event. They slept calmly and peacefully. After all, the corruption schemes are firmly in place, history has been falsified, science is at rock bottom, and disgrace is eternal. The mission is accomplished.
Science in Azerbaijan afflicted by corruption (and only?)
Over the past three years, the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan has been rocked by corruption scandals. With striking regularity, and with three presidents ending up in the dock, the same themes keep resurfacing: corruption, patronage, embezzlement. These are not merely allegations against the Academy; they reflect the real state of Azerbaijani science.
The media outlet Minval.az has, from time to time, managed to publish sharp and incisive materials. As early as 2013, Minval.az aptly described Azerbaijani science as “afflicted by corruption”—and, as time has shown, this assessment proved entirely accurate.
Science for the benefit of the ANAS President’s Daughter
In October 2025, a new scandal erupted: millions of dollars and euros in cash, along with diamonds and jewelry, were reportedly stolen from Günay Masimova, the daughter of ANAS President Isa Habibbeyli. According to media reports, a safe belonging to Masimova contained USD 790,000, EUR 330,000 in cash, as well as diamonds and various items of jewelry.
An investigation was initiated in Nuremberg to establish the provenance of the funds and valuables. The president’s daughter, without awaiting the outcome, hastily departed (more precisely, fled) Germany. She had obtained residency rights in the Federal Republic of Germany through what was described as a fictitious marriage and had acquired a villa and an apartment on Kurfürstendamm in Berlin valued at approximately EUR 1 million. Life appeared well-arranged; however, adversity rarely arrives alone: not only were the funds allegedly stolen, but this was followed by investigation, reputational damage, and forced departure.
Subsequently, the academy president partially refuted the reports, yet, notably, requested that his name not be mentioned in connection with the incident (reference to his daughter — permissible; reference to himself — not).
In October 2025, a new scandal emerged: millions of dollars and euros in cash, diamonds and jewelry, were stolen from the daughter of the president of the Academy of Sciences, Isa Habibbeyli—Günay Masimova. According to reports, Masimova kept $790,000 and €330,000 in cash, as well as diamonds and jewelry, in her safe.
An investigation was launched in Nuremberg to determine the origin of the money and valuables. Without waiting for the outcome, the academy president’s daughter hastily left—more precisely, fled—Germany. She had obtained residency rights through a sham marriage and had purchased a villa and an apartment on Kurfürstendamm in Berlin valued at around €1 million. It seemed life was finally on track— misfortunes never come singly: not only was the money stolen, but there was also an investigation, public disgrace, and a forced flight.
Later, the academy’s president partially denied the reports; tellingly, however, he asked that his name not be mentioned in connection with the incident (his daughter—yes; himself—no).
Three presidents — one system
According to reports in Azerbaijani media, in late October 2025 three presidents of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences were simultaneously brought before the courts: the current head of the Academy, Isa Habibbeyli, as well as former leaders Ramiz Mehdiyev and Akif Alizadeh.
In a striking coincidence, it had already become known in October 2024 that the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan had opened a case against the Academy’s leadership on the basis of audit inspections conducted in 2022–2023. From 2019 to 2022, the presidency of the Academy was held by the former head of the Presidential Administration, Ramiz Mehdiyev. Since 2021, the Academy’s affairs have effectively been managed by Mehdiyev’s son-in-law’s brother, Fikret Aliyev.
Mechanisms of misappropriation within the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences: elementary yet effective
The alleged financial schemes are well-known:
• Construction and renovation works: falsification of completed work volumes and inflation of cost estimates.
• Write-offs for unrendered services: fictitious contracts and reporting documentation.
• Procurement irregularities: acquisition of equipment at prices exhibiting statistically improbable deviations from market benchmarks.
The corruption ecosystem attributed to Azerbaijani science is characterized by:
• Institutional nepotism and “ghost employees” (a striking example is the Shemakha Astrophysical Observatory).
• Protectionism: appointment of relatives of senior officials to key administrative positions.
• Non-specialized hiring: employing individuals who lack the necessary scientific qualifications, further exacerbating the sector’s dire condition.
Conclusion
In recent decades, Azerbaijani academia has become mired in corruption, fraud, embezzlement of funds, and other forms of misconduct. As a result, it is evident that such so-called “learned men” are capable of nothing beyond falsifying the history and culture of neighboring peoples. One can hardly expect anything more from this kind of “academic elite.”
Our sincere advice is this: dissolve this “drowsy gathering of ‘scholars’” with its corrupt leadership, assemble genuine, conscientious scholars—and perhaps then Azerbaijani science will cease to be associated with falsifications, corruption, and other immoral and criminal attributes. As is evident, even Azerbaijani media themselves testify to this.
