Azerbaijani authorities have presented details of an attempted coup

The State Security Service (SSS) of Azerbaijan has presented new details in the case of an alleged coup attempt involving former head of the Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev, former Deputy Prime Minister Abbas Abbasov, and the leader of the opposition Popular Front Party (PFPA) Ali Karimli. According to the agency, they, with the assistance of foreign intelligence agencies, were preparing a violent seizure of power.

According to the indictment, these individuals were co-founders and leaders of the Union of Azerbaijani Organizations of Russia (the "Union of Billionaires"). The organization's alleged goal was the violent overthrow of Azerbaijan's constitutional order.

It is alleged that after these individuals created the National Council of Democratic Forces (the "National Council"), which nominated Rustam Ibrahimbekov as a presidential candidate in 2013, they, with the financial and organizational support of foreign intelligence agencies, prepared for mass unrest. Approximately 1 million manats were allocated to recruit participants in the unrest from the country's regions. According to the State Security Service, there were also plans to recruit individuals living abroad to participate in the rallies. The "National Council" allegedly sent a secret letter to a foreign state requesting support and pressure on Azerbaijan.

Furthermore, according to the State Security Service, there was an agreement on Azerbaijan's gradual accession to the pro-Russian military bloc, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). It is also noted that Ramiz Mehdiyev laundered over 17 million manats of criminally obtained funds by October 13, 2025.

The State Security Service also released an intercepted conversation between former head of the presidential administration, Ramiz Mehdiyev, and a representative of a foreign intelligence service from one of the countries. The conversation was conducted in Russian. According to the agency, an employee of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) served as an intermediary between Mehdiyev and Russian security agencies. It is alleged that communications with Russian security forces through an agent network in the Russian Academy of Sciences were maintained even during the period when Mehdiyev headed the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (2019–2022).

Последние новости
An Ingush refugee whose extradition Russia had requested has been released in Croatia
Human rights
An Ingush refugee whose extradition Russia had requested has been released in Croatia
12 June 2026

Magomed-Amin Gatagazhev, a native of Ingushetia, was released after eight months in a Croatian immigration prison. Russian authorities had requested his extradition. The refugee was accepted by the neighboring republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Following Moscow's criticism, Karapetyan demanded the annulment of the Armenian election results
Politics
Following Moscow's criticism, Karapetyan demanded the annulment of the Armenian election results
12 June 2026

The Strong Armenia party, affiliated with Russian oligarch Samvel Karapetyan, sent a request to the Central Electoral Commission demanding the annulment of the Armenian parliamentary election results.
The Committee to Protect Journalists has called for the release of Azerbaijani independent press representatives
Human rights
The Committee to Protect Journalists has called for the release of Azerbaijani independent press representatives
12 June 2026

The International Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has expressed strong disapproval of the prison terms requested by the prosecutor for nine activists and journalists from Toplum TV, which range from 13 to 16 years. Gulnoza Said, CPJ program coordinator, emphasized that such harsh punishments demonstrate the Azerbaijani authorities' desire to respond to courageous reporting and sow a climate of fear.
Muslim Murdiyev's mother called on the president and the head of Chechnya to protect him in prison
Human rights
Muslim Murdiyev's mother called on the president and the head of Chechnya to protect him in prison
11 June 2026

15-year-old Chechen boy Muslim Murdiyev was transferred from a Moscow pretrial detention center to a juvenile correctional facility in the Volgograd region. The boy's mother appealed to Vladimir Putin and Ramzan Kadyrov, asking them to ensure her son's safety.