Opinion: Akperov Punished for Failure to Complete Combat Mission

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- Ilham Bey, what do you think about the arrest of Rovshan Akperov? Could there be some unknown political reasons behind the murder?

- Firstly, the arrest of Rovshan Akperov has no "political reasons" in the literal sense of the word. That is, there were never rumors about the political ambitions of Akperov himself or his inner circle, there was no information on this matter. There was not even talk in society about any connection with those who are involved in politics. Regarding the first part of your question, I can say that during the 44-day war and after the war, only a negative opinion was formed about Rovshan Akperov. The fact that he did not show himself in the war in any way, taking into account his position, rank, status of a national hero, created a contrast, and everyone had a question, why is Rovshan Akperov showing such passivity? There seem to be other specific reasons that are unknown to us. In any case, the reason that the criminal case transferred to Azerbaijan in 2003 began to be actively investigated again after the war must be sought in the war.

- Participant of the First Karabakh War, the commander of the 4th Baku Army Corps, the commander of the 777^th Motorized Rifle Regiment, which played an important role in the defeat of the Armenian army near Terter in the spring of 1994, 55-year-old Rovshan Akperov was said to have been removed from participation last year in the 44-day war. However, his name was not on the list of awardees and participants in the Victory Day Parade on December 8. Isn't all this strange?

- Rovshan Akperov was suspended from the 44-day war at its very beginning. In this war, Rovshan Akperov could not prove himself and, as they say, did not even fulfill the assigned combat missions. It’s one thing, you don’t know how, it’s another thing to give up intense heavy fights. Regarding R. Akperov, they spoke about the second option. What, what feat was he remembered as a corps commander during the war? The Supreme Commander-in-Chief, at an operational meeting at the Ministry of Defense held in the first ten days of the war, announced the delay in some operations for unknown reasons. This was addressed to those who did not carry out operations in the direction of Murov and one part of the southern region. This was addressed to Akperov and another general, therefore, during the hostilities, some were barred from participating in the battles. And after the end of the war, they were demobilized from the army. Some lower-level officers were arrested during the war for refusing to carry out a combat mission. Why should such commanders and officers participate in the Victory Parade or be awarded? These are the defeated generals of the victorious army.

- It should be noted that Rovshan Akperov had close friendly relations with the former chief of the General Staff, Najmeddin Sadigov. In the first days of the 44-day war, Najmeddin Sadigov was removed from the post of chief of the General Staff. On December 12, Sadigov's nephew, head of the Main Department of Internal Security of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan, Major General Ramil Asgarov, was dismissed from his post. According to local media reports, since December 2020, Rovshan Akperov has moved to Kiev. However, the order to transfer to the reserve was signed by Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov on February 8, 2021. All this raises suspicions that Rovshan Akperov was arrested in connection with a murder committed 20 years ago. Do you think this might not be a pre-planned game?

- This is absolutely not a game. Imagine that in the tensest period of the war, the most important figure for the army, the chief of the General Staff, is removed from his post. This means that there were such serious reasons that N. Sadygov was removed from office, and although at that time this was not officially announced, the entire public became aware that he no longer influences and cannot influence the course of the war. As you said, the proximity of R. Akperov to N. Sadygov also indicates that these officers were an obstacle in the performance of serious tasks, that they interfered, at that time there was talk among the participants in the war. Even before the war, a very negative opinion was formed about Sadigov and his entourage, and about his nephew Ramil Askerov. Information that Akperov had a business in Kiev appeared in the press long before the war. Among the news was the fact that since studying at the Military Academy in Kiev, he had a business there and was ruled by a criminal authority.

- They say that the arrests will continue. The names of many generals and former officials are mentioned here. All this leads to the development of a version about the political aspect of the arrest of the general. Who else can be arrested?

- There are no problems in Azerbaijan with the arrest of any official, general, regardless of rank. In their actions, you can always find the corpus delicti. Which of the heads of executive power and deputy ministers arrested so far had a political version? The political overtones in these arrests could only be an imitation of the fight against corruption and bribery. And in the actions of the detainees there were specific crimes, and there was no political side. The arrest of Rovshan Akperov is somewhat different. It would be more correct to look in the war for the reason for the resumption of a specific criminal case on a crime committed 20 years ago, on which a formal investigation is still being conducted. Must be punished! And the fact that after such a decision the crime committed 20 years ago became the reason for the arrest is quite natural. Prospects of arrest are possible and expected, but I cannot say anything about who it might be.

- If RovshanAkperov betrayed his homeland, why is he arrested for another reason? If he betrayed, can it be hidden and why?

- Treason to the Motherland is a grave crime against the state. If R. Akperov did not complete the combat mission or committed negligence, this cannot be regarded as a betrayal of the Motherland. The fact that Akperov did not fulfill his combat mission in the interests of another state is not convincing. In any case, the legal side, not the background to this arrest, has already been announced. This is a 2001 crime.

We also note that the fact that we are talking about the arrest of Akperov is to some extent an assumption, but there is something that we do not know about.