Discussion Agenda with Nasimi Mammadli

The head of the Civil Defense Headquarters of the Center for Public Health and Reforms under Azerbaijan's Ministry of Health, Adalat Verdiyev, has been arrested.

Reserve officer and military expert Adalat Verdiyev is accused of disclosing state secrets, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office. The press service stated that on November 22, Verdiyev participated as a military expert in a media representatives' visit to territories liberated from occupation. During this visit, he allegedly photographed the deployment positions of the Armed Forces and Border Troops, their coordinates, and the operational environment, subsequently sharing these images on his social media account.

Meanwhile, a few days ago, Azerbaijan's military attaché to Saudi Arabia, Gakhraman Mammadov, was detained in Istanbul with 70 kilograms of gold. He has been charged under Articles 12.1, 206.3.2, and 206.3.3 (smuggling committed outside Azerbaijan, by a group, and using an official position) as well as Article 341.1 (abuse of office or exceeding official authority) of the Criminal Code. The investigation is being conducted by the Main Investigation Department of the State Security Service.

During a parliamentary session on November 25 discussing the draft law “On the State Budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2025,” Zahid Oruj, Chairman of the Human Rights Committee of the Milli Majlis, warned that opening borders could lead to an influx of hundreds of thousands of refugees of non-Azerbaijani origin.

These and other issues are addressed in the program “Complex Issue” by political commentator Nasimi Mammadli.

Mammadli stated that arrests of publicly active figures in Azerbaijan often have a political undertone, with exceptions being rare. Regarding Adalat Verdiyev, the expert emphasized that Verdiyev is a law-abiding individual who unequivocally supports the political course of the country's leadership. He meticulously aligned his views with those of the Ministry of Defense and political leadership.

“Verdiyev posted video materials on his social media account showing the locations of Azerbaijani Armed Forces and Border Troops, their coordinates, and the operational situation. While this may have played a role in his arrest, it’s worth noting that modern surveillance systems can easily track movements on the earth’s surface down to minute details. Armenia has such capabilities, so these accusations seem perplexing. Verdiyev had no access to military secrets that could be sold, nor does he have access to such information,” Mammadli stated.

The commentator suggested that the authorities aim to demonstrate impartiality, showing that there are neither “insiders” (supporters and admirers of the government) nor “outsiders” (critics of the government) and that they treat everyone equally. This could be an attempt to create an artificial "balance" while simultaneously intensifying an atmosphere of fear.

Addressing the arrest of Azerbaijan's military attaché in Saudi Arabia, Mammadli remarked: “There’s no surprise here. Azerbaijani diplomats, like other officials, members of parliament, and law enforcement personnel, are products of the existing system, focused not on fulfilling their duties but on ‘making money.’”

Regarding Zahid Oruj’s claim about the potential influx of refugees if borders are opened, Mammadli dismissed the idea of Ukrainian refugees coming to Azerbaijan as unrealistic. He also deemed a possible influx of refugees from Russia improbable, but if such a scenario occurred, controlling it at land borders would be nearly impossible.

The political analyst hinted at economic motives behind keeping the borders closed.
"On the one hand, it aims to curb the outflow of foreign currency from Azerbaijan. On the other, it seeks to halt cross-border trade, which hinders monopolists," he concluded.