Seven officials of the National Security Ministry of Azerbaijan were arrested on charges of 'abuse of power and illegal interference in trade' on Tuesday, October 20. The General Prosecutor's Office of Azerbaijan announced in a statement on its official website that these individuals are accused of illegally intervening in the activities of business owners and violating the legal rights and interests of individuals by abusing their positions. This action follows the sudden dismissal of Eldar Mahmudov, the Minister of National Security of Azerbaijan. According to the General Prosecutor's Office, a case has been opened regarding the crimes committed by these individuals, and investigations are ongoing. The statement did not mention the names and positions of the arrested individuals. However, the semi-official Trend News Agency published the names and positions of five of the detainees on Wednesday, October 21. According to this report, the arrested individuals include General Timur Quliyev, head of the ministry's monitoring department; General Natavan Maratova, head of operations and technology; Colonel Ilqar Aliyev, deputy head of the anti-terror center; Colonel Fazil Aliyev, an official in the central department for combating multinational economic crimes; and Farhad Atayev, an employee of the ministry's monitoring department. The news agency did not mention the names of the other two detainees but identified them as employees of the ministry's monitoring department. On Saturday, October 17, Ilham Aliyev, the President of Azerbaijan, suddenly dismissed Eldar Mahmudov, who had been in charge of the National Security Ministry since 2004, through a decree on his official website, without mentioning the reason for his dismissal. On Tuesday, Aliyev appointed General Madad Quliyev, head of Azerbaijan's prison administration, as the first deputy of the National Security Ministry, but has not yet appointed a new Minister of National Security. Semi-official Azerbaijani media have also reported, without providing details, that Aliyev has ordered the 'reform' of the structure of the National Security Ministry.
Seven Officials of Azerbaijan's National Security Ministry Arrested
Seven officials from Azerbaijan's National Security Ministry were arrested for abusing their power and illegally interfering in business activities. This follows the sudden dismissal of Minister Eldar Mahmudov by President Ilham Aliyev. The situation highlights potential corruption within the ministry and ongoing reforms in Azerbaijan's security apparatus.
👥 Key Players
⚡ Actions
📰 What Happened
Seven officials of Azerbaijan's National Security Ministry were arrested for abuse of power.
- Azerbaijan's General Prosecutor's Office arrest seven officials of the National Security Ministry
- Ilham Aliyev dismiss Eldar Mahmudov
- Ilham Aliyev appoint General Madad Quliyev
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The arrests of high-ranking officials signal potential reforms and instability within Azerbaijan's National Security Ministry.
📝 Key Evidence
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%