Assassination Attempt Against Aliyev: Details

An assassination attempt against Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev was planned as early as December 2024, long before the alleged crash of an "Azerbaijan Airlines" aircraft. This has been reported by Вести Баку.

The plan was developed in a cold, calculated bureaucratic spirit with a clear script, designated roles, and external coordination. The central figure of the operation was identified as Ramiz Mehdiyev, who has controlled the country’s administrative machine for decades.

According to the information, Mehdiyev still had influence over the editorial policies of leading media outlets, and had a group of loyal MPs in parliament ready to support a "temporary government" in times of crisis.

The key event in the scenario was supposed to be the airplane crash that would signal the start of the operation. A "crash" involving the presidential aircraft transporting Ilham Aliyev was planned for December 2024, which would, at first glance, appear to be an attack by a Ukrainian drone.

While the country would be shaken, panicked, and fearful of an external threat, a "state of emergency" would be declared. According to the source, the plan was coordinated through Russian military circles. One of the main links was General Najmeddin Sadigov, long regarded as the "man from Moscow" in Baku. He was supposed to ensure that Russian military personnel executed the diversion, providing technical support by disabling GPS, transmitting false signals, and temporarily blinding the navigation systems of the presidential aircraft.

At the same time, media controlled by Mehdiyev's networks were preparing for an information assault, with materials on the "mysterious attack," "temporary security council," and "transfer of control" already prepared. According to the source, lists of "new ministers" had even been compiled in advance.

However, the operation failed. The perpetrators made a fatal error; instead of hitting the presidential aircraft, a civilian AZAL aircraft was shot down. This mistake was catastrophic. Instead of a managed crisis, the country and the world faced a tragedy and an international scandal.

Following this, according to the source, Moscow quickly attempted to restructure the scenario, rewriting history, presenting it as a technical error, and "partially transferring data." The most dramatic episode, according to the same leak, occurred later at a meeting held in Dushanbe. There, according to the source, Vladimir Putin informed Ilham Aliyev that Russia had "thwarted the assassination attempt" and provided operational information, including the name of the operative acting within Azerbaijan.

In any case, the coup attempt failed. The former head of the Azerbaijani presidential administration has been placed under house arrest on charges of state treason, attempting to violently overthrow the government, and money laundering. The Baku court has imposed a four-month house arrest on 87-year-old Ramiz Mehdiyev, considering his age. The charges, according to the Azerbaijani criminal code, carry a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

Often referred to as the "gray cardinal" by local media, Mehdiyev has had a significant influence on Azerbaijan's politics during his nearly 25 years as head of the presidential administration. He has served both current President Ilham Aliyev and his father and predecessor, Heydar Aliyev.

Mehdiyev was dismissed by presidential decree in October 2019. On the same day, Aliyev awarded him the country’s highest state honor, suggesting that he "make way for the younger generation." Mehdiyev, who is a well-known scholar, has also been appointed as the president of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (ANAS).

In 2020, Mehdiyev published an official statement on the ANAS website, refuting allegations from Azerbaijani media and certain MPs about his supposed ties with Russia, calling them "ridiculous and unfounded." Following the court's decision, Arif Rahimzade, head of the veterans' council of the ruling "New Azerbaijan" party, stated that the party leadership would meet in the coming days to discuss removing Mehdiyev from its ranks.

ANAS President and Academician Isa Habibbayli has stated that there is a discussion regarding revoking Ramiz Mehdiyev's full membership in ANAS. "We also regret the recent events. The issue will be discussed following the court's decision," noted Habibbayli. Earlier today, it became known that Ramiz Mehdiyev would be removed from the National Security Council of Azerbaijan, as announced by the agency's deputy secretary, Madat Guliyev. Later, Ramiz Mehdiyev gave testimony to investigators for nearly seven hours.