The State Security Service (SSS) of Azerbaijan has released video footage featuring a telephone conversation between Ramiz Mehdiyev, the former head of the Presidential Administration, and an unidentified woman.
During the recorded conversation, Ramiz Mehdiyev reportedly sought advice on delivering a letter regarding a "change in the state management system" in Azerbaijan—a document which investigators suggest outlines a governance model following a potential coup d'état. While the woman's identity was not explicitly named in the video fragment, further details have emerged regarding her role and affiliations.
Operative Information Center-OMM, citing APA, reports that the woman is an employee of the Russian Academy of Sciences (REA) and allegedly acted as an intermediary in Mehdiyev's contacts with Russian security services. Sources indicate that during his tenure as the head of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) between 2019 and 2022, Mehdiyev maintained communication with his curators through intelligence assets embedded within the REA. Although her specific identity is known to investigators, it has not been publicly disclosed due to the ongoing nature of the inquiry.
Ramiz Mehdiyev was dismissed from his position as president of ANAS on February 19, 2022. Just three months prior, in November 2021, he personally welcomed a delegation led by REA President Alexander Sergeyev at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku. The State Security Service's recent disclosures also involve other figures, including Abbas Abbasov and Ali Karimli. Historically, the influence of Russian intelligence agencies, particularly the FSB, within academic and scientific institutions has been documented by international researchers, a legacy of the Soviet era where intelligence officers frequently operated under the cover of "experts" or "consultants" within the REA system.
