Azerbaijani opposition politician accused of attempting to seize power by force
Ali Karimli, լeader of the opposition Azerbaijan Popular Front party, has been charged. He was arrested by Azerbaijan’s State Security Service and accused under Article 278.1 of the Azerbaijani Criminal Code, which concerns actions aimed at violently seizing power or forcibly changing the constitutional order, Azerbaijani media report.
The case is being considered within the broader investigation of former head of the Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev, who is accused of forcibly seizing or retaining power, violently altering the constitutional order, and committing state treason. Various individuals are being questioned as part of the investigation.
According to interrogations, the main suspected operations—allegedly orchestrated in Russia—began in 2012–2013. In 2012, Abbas Abbasov, a close associate of Ramiz Mehdiyev, founded the Union of Azerbaijani Organizations in Russia, widely known as the “Union of Billionaires.” Rustam Ibrahimbekov, owner of IBRUS, became a member of the coordinating council of the “Union of Billionaires” alongside Abbasov.
Shortly thereafter, within the framework of his mission, Ibrahimbekov, together with Ali Karimli, Jamil Hasanli, and Gultakin Hajibeyli, established the “National Council,” which was funded by the “Union of Billionaires.” According to reports, Karimli transformed his party into a tool of the “National Council,” created by Ibrahimbekov in Russia.
Previous media reports indicate that during a search of Ali Karimli’s home conducted by State Security Service officers, materials were seized linking him to the “Union of Billionaires,” as well as an unpublished letter written by Ramiz Mehdiyev and other documents.
Ali Karimli is an opposition figure who has criticized the Azerbaijani president and his actions. Various criminal cases are regularly initiated against him. International human rights organizations have repeatedly stated that criminal cases against him are intended to suppress dissent and silence opposition voices in Azerbaijan.
