The State Security Service of Azerbaijan (SSS) released information about the arrest of members of “an illegal armed group which operated under the control of Iran’s special services”. It was noted on the official website of the SSS that Azerbaijani citizens who are members of the group were recruited and financed by Iran’s special services for military training outside the country.
What is claimed: According to the statement of the SSS, the members of the group were selected from among the members of the Azerbaijani religious opposition group Muslim Union Movement.
They passed through the territory of the third-party countries and went to Tehran, where their mobile phones and passports were taken, and after being given religious nicknames, they were taken to Damascus, Syria, on military cargo planes with fake documents. Those persons were involved in military exercises in Syria and therefore received various amounts of money.
SSS
The SSS reports that 19 Azerbaijani citizens who participated in these military exercises were investigated, evidence of the exercises, religious books and video materials prohibited for distribution in Azerbaijan were seized.
Who are named: In the criminal case, Iskandar Huseynov, Tural Hagverdiyev, Eltun Shukurov and others were arrested and brought to criminal responsibility under articles 12.1, 279.1 (participation in armed groups not provided for by law) of the Criminal Code. Orkhan Asadov is accused of recruiting members of the group to military exercises, and according to official information, he was arrested in the territory of the third-party country.
In the official information released by the SSS, the Iranian Embassy in Azerbaijan is also accused. It is reported that Fagan Mammadov, who participated in military exercises, distributed shirts with religious slogans written on them to the participants of the actions planned to be held in some regions of the country. It is claimed that he brought those shirts to Azerbaijan in a car belonging to the embassy.
What else is said in the information: According to the statement, the management of the armed group is now entrusted to Tohid Ibrahimbeyli, Rovshan Asadov, Orkhan Mammadov, Elshad Hajiyev and others who are currently in Iran. In 2018, preventive measures were taken against the mentioned persons and they were wanted via international search.
