Azerbaijan’s State Security Service has filed charges against a group of people accused of belonging to a criminal network alleged to have attempted to forcibly seize state power. It's claimed they tried to alter the constitutional structure, with the support of foreign intelligence agencies.
According to the indictment, nationals including Mehdiyev Ramiz Anvar oglu, Abbasov Abbas Aydin oglu, Karimli Ali Amirhuseyn oglu and others allegedly conspired to undermine the state through an organisation registered abroad as the “Union of Russian Azerbaijani Organizations” and also known as the “Union of Billionaires.”
The group, prosecutors say, created the “National Council of Democratic Forces,” which nominated Russian passport holder Rustam Ibrahimbeyov in Azerbaijan’s 2013 presidential elections.
The indictment claims the council received financial and organisational backing from foreign special service agencies to carry out mass unrest and attempts to influence political processes.
Documents attached to the criminal case reportedly show that members of the “Union of Billionaires” coordinated with Azerbaijani nationals abroad to mobilise supporters for rallies and mass disturbances. Investigators say funds of more than 933,000 manats (about $549,000) were directed to facilitate these activities.
Prosecutors also allege that Karimli Ali Amirhuseyn oglu instructed party members to manipulate a patriotic march in Baku from 14–15 July 2020, turning it into a "chaotic event" aimed at seizing administrative buildings, including the Milli Majlis and the state broadcaster AzTV, and announcing the seizure of power through the mass media.
Ramiz Mehdiyev is accused of collaborating with foreign agencies to restructure state administration and legalise over 17 million manats (about $10m) of criminally obtained funds, actions prosecutors say amount to treason.
The accused face charges under multiple articles of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code, including attempts to forcibly seize power, treason and legalisation of criminally obtained property. Abbas Abbasov, Fuad Gahramanli and Ganimat Zayidov have been declared wanted and arrested in absentia.
Investigations into the case are ongoing.
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The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
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