Former Head of Presidential Administration Charged with Treason in Azerbaijan - Media

Ramiz Mehdiyev

In Azerbaijan, Ramiz Mehdiyev, former Head of the Presidential Administration, has been charged with attempted forcible seizure of power, high treason, and committing other crimes.

The 87-year-old former official has been placed under house arrest for a period of 4 months.

This information is being reported by pro-government media outlets. However, there are no official press releases from law enforcement agencies or special services.

Ramiz Mehdiyev served as Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan during the Soviet years.

He was removed from his post in 1988. He was returned to public service in 1995 by the late President Heydar Aliyev.

From 1995 to 2019, Mehdiyev held the post of Head of the Presidential Administration and became known as the "grey cardinal" due to his unlimited influence on state decision-making.

In 2019, Mehdiyev was honorably retired due to age, and was awarded the country's highest honor, the Heydar Aliyev Order.

Simultaneously, the post of President of the National Academy was cleared for him, which he held until 2022.

Mehdiyev caused a public scandal when he held a lavish wedding for his granddaughter during a strict COVID-19 quarantine.

In 2022, Mehdiyev resigned from the post of President of the Academy of Sciences amid conflicts with the heads of sectoral institutes and reports of financial fraud within the Academy.

Mehdiyev's reputation as a pro-Russian statesman was firmly established.

The charges brought against Mehdiyev are linked to crimes that imply accomplices. It is likely that the arrests of a number of former high-ranking officials will follow in the coming days.