The State Security Service (SSS) of Azerbaijan has detained an individual involved in an attempt to blackmail the family of President Ilham Aliyev.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that a special investigative report on the matter was broadcast on Public Television (ITV).
According to the report, since the beginning of this year, foreign-based bloggers Mehman and Emin Huseynov, along with Gabil Mammadov, began disseminating defamatory information regarding Alena Aliyeva across various internet platforms. During one live broadcast, Mehman Huseynov displayed a brief image fragment as part of a smear campaign. Investigations revealed that these materials were fabricated and obtained from specific sources whose identities were part of the criminal inquiry.
Simultaneously with the online defamation campaign, an individual located abroad attempted to contact high-ranking Azerbaijani officials via social media accounts, email, and foreign-registered phone numbers. This individual claimed to possess footage allegedly belonging to Alena Aliyeva and demanded 5 million euros in exchange for not releasing the recordings. The investigation confirmed that the materials were part of a coordinated extortion attempt.
The State Security Service initiated a criminal case under the relevant articles of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan. As a result of the operations, an Azerbaijani citizen, identified by the initials F.S., was detained on suspicion of committing the crime. During interrogation, the suspect confessed to the acts and provided details of the scheme. In accordance with legal procedures and the presumption of innocence, the suspect's full name and identity will be disclosed following a final court verdict.
The State Security Service of Azerbaijan is the primary intelligence and law enforcement agency responsible for protecting the constitutional order, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the country. The SSS frequently conducts operations to neutralize threats against national security, including cybercrime, extortion, and foreign-led disinformation campaigns aimed at destabilizing the state or its leadership.
