The State Security Service (SSS) has released comprehensive details regarding the criminal case against Ramiz Mehdiyev and several associates accused of attempting to seize power.
The Operative Information Center-OMM was informed by the SSS that complex measures were undertaken to prevent provocative and subversive activities by foreign special services targeting the security and national interests of Azerbaijan. As a result of these investigations, reasonable suspicions have been established that citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan—Ramiz Enver oglu Mehdiyev, Abbas Aydin oglu Abbasov, Ali Amirhuseyn oglu Kerimli, and others—engaged in actions aimed at the forcible seizure of power and the violent change of the state's constitutional order.
According to the charges, Abbas Abbasov and Rustam Ibrahimbeyov, co-founders of the so-called "Union of Billionaires" registered abroad in 2012 to interfere in Azerbaijan's political processes, conspired with Ramiz Mehdiyev and Ali Kerimli, chairman of the Azerbaijan Popular Front Party (APFP). The group, which included APFP members Fuad Gahramanli and Ganimat Zahidov, allegedly plotted to overthrow the government with the support of foreign intelligence agencies. Investigations revealed that they received over 933,828 AZN in funding, including contributions from Mehdiyev and Abbasov, to organize mass riots, defy law enforcement, and disrupt public order during the 2013 presidential elections.
The SSS investigation further detailed that in July 2020, during a public march in Baku supporting the army against Armenian aggression, Ali Kerimli instructed followers to infiltrate the crowd and incite chaos. The plan involved seizing the administrative buildings of the Milli Majlis (National Assembly) and Azerbaijan Television and Radio Broadcasting CJSC to declare a change of government. Additionally, Ramiz Mehdiyev is accused of drafting a secret plan titled "Proposals on the Restructuring of the State Management System" in a foreign language in 2025, which was shared with foreign intelligence and Ali Kerimli. Mehdiyev also faces charges for money laundering exceeding 17 million AZN.
The State Security Service (SSS) is the primary domestic intelligence and law enforcement agency in Azerbaijan, responsible for protecting the constitutional order and combating terrorism, espionage, and organized crime. This high-profile case highlights the agency's ongoing efforts to safeguard Azerbaijan's sovereignty against internal and external threats. Under Azerbaijani law, treason and attempts to forcibly change the constitutional order are among the most serious offenses, carrying severe penalties including life imprisonment.
Abbas Abbasov, Ali Kerimli, Fuad Gahramanli, Mammad Ibrahim, and Ganimat Zahidov have been charged under Article 278.1 of the Criminal Code, while Ramiz Mehdiyev faces additional charges under Articles 193-1.3.2 (money laundering) and 274 (state treason). As Abbasov, Gahramanli, and Zahidov are currently outside Azerbaijan, they have been declared wanted, and court orders for their arrest in absentia have been issued. Investigations into the case are ongoing.
