State Security Service of Azerbaijan Accuses Natig Kerimov of Spying

The State Security Service (SSS) of Azerbaijan accuses the head of the Council of Elders of Nardaran Natig Kerimov of spying for a foreign country. This agency has not specified, which country Kerimov worked for.

As SSS said in the evening of January 7, as a result of the operational and investigative activities conducted by the staff of the agency, "there is reasonable suspicion that a citizen of Azerbaijan, resident of the Nardaran settlement of the Sabunchu district of Baku Natig Kerimov secretly collaborated with the special service of a foreign state." According to the investigators, for a long time Kerimov ran errands of the intelligence service and carried out espionage for a foreign country to the detriment of Azerbaijan's state security.

In connection with the above, Kerimov was detained as a suspect under Article 274 of the Criminal Code (high treason) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. The court decision against him chose a preventive measure of arrest.

The report however does not specify for which country Kerimov was engaged in espionage.

Note that two days ago, Kerimov on his Facebook page made a statement condemning the execution of the Shia preacher and activist Nimr Nimr al-Bakr in Saudi Arabia. Note that the execution also caused angry reaction from Iran.

Also note that Kerimov is a member of the opposition National Council of Democratic Forces of Azerbaijan. -06D--