Who is Sahib Rzayev, Azerbaijan’s new penitentiary service chief?

By a decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev, Sahib Jalil oghlu Rzayev has been appointed Deputy Minister of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan and head of the Penitentiary Service.

“Operative Information Center-OMM” presents Sahib Jalil oghlu Rzayev’s profile:

Sahib Jalil oghlu Rzayev was born in 1977.

He graduated from Baku State University in 2001 with a degree in law. In 2011, he also completed additional studies in international law at the same university with distinction.

Rzayev began his career in the internal affairs bodies and worked as an investigator until 2006. For 17 years, from 2006 to 2023, he held various senior positions at the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Rzayev had served as deputy head of the Investigation Department of the Ministry of Justice since January 2025. On July 23, 2025, Justice Minister Farid Ahmadov appointed him head of the department.