Event Overview

On November 1, Azerbaijan’s Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan abolished its State Security Service (SSS) structure. It will be replaced by the newly formed Nakhchivani branch of Azerbaijan’s State Security Service. Additionally, Mohshun Ashurov was appointed as the head of the new organization. The cancellation of the State Security Service of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (AR) has caused rumors about Autonomous Republic's dissolution. According to the claims, a similar step will be taken with other institutions operating in Nakhchivan.

On November 24, the Sabail District Court of Baku arrested Mansur Asgarov, the head of the Customs Tariffs Regulation and Payments Department of the State Customs Committee of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, for a period of 4 months. He is found guilty under Article 179.4 of the Criminal Code (employment or waste, when committed by causing significant damage).

On November 26, the Sabail District Court of Baku, presided over by Judge Ulviyya Shukurova, chose a four-month preventive measure against Rafael Aliyev, the Minister of Finance of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, in the ongoing criminal case at the State Security Service.

On November 28, the State Customs Committee of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of the Republic of Azerbaijan was abolished. In its place, an institution was created under the authority of the General Customs Department: the Azerbaijan State Customs Committee. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev signed decrees about this.

"No need to play any political games regarding Nakhchivan"

At the meeting of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Siyavush Novruzov, Chairman of the Parliament's Regional Affairs Committee, said that Nakhchivan is a sensitive region.

Siyavush Novruzov emphasized that the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic supports the President, the state, and the statehood and is loyal to Ilham Aliyev: "Therefore, there is no need to play any political games here. Law enforcement agencies are implementing the same reforms in other regions and places. Corruption is checked where it exists. How many ministries and committees were inspected in Azerbaijan, and seven executive heads were arrested? These are citizens of Azerbaijan. I ask that this issue be approached carefully."

"The corruption revealed in the last two episodes accounts for more than half of Nakhchivan's budget"

At the same meeting, MP Etibar Aliyev spoke about the recent events in Nakhchivan. The MP noted that transparency is the main factor that shows the administration's strength: "Maximum transparency means minimum corruption and budget theft, and there is stealing of the allocated subsidy."

"A few years ago, President Ilham Aliyev, while receiving the Chairman of the Supreme Assembly of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, said that only 22 percent of the budget of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is formed at the expense of local revenues. Only 85 million manats [EUR 47.3 million] out of 385 million manats [EUR 214.5 million] are due to local revenues. The rest of the budget of the Autonomous Republic - 300 million manats [EUR 167.1 million] - is subsidized by Baku. In the following years, the subsidy increased significantly," he added.

"During the reception, the President instructed Vasif Talibov [the head of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic] that transparency in the financial and economic spheres should be fully ensured in Nakhchivan today, as in the whole country. But what happened? The corruption revealed in the last two episodes accounts for more than half of Nakhchivan's budget. Some regions cannot be left out of the reforms carried out in our country. And the structural financial and economic reforms carried out in Nakhchivan today should be unequivocally supported by scientists, writers, and deputies. The silence here means justifying the heavy consequences of the lost time on the region. What about demographics? This is a wound that heals somewhat late. I think it takes a lot of time to sort it out. There should be a separate and heavier punishment for this," the MP emphasized.

Chairman of the Modern Musavat Party: "Vasif Talibov established close contacts with Iran"

Hafiz Hajiyev, the Chairman of the Modern Musavat Party, said, "Vasif Talibov's carrier was broken in Nakhchivan. The intelligence agencies of Turkey and other countries have information about his actions."

The party chairman said that Vasif Talibov betrayed the state and will not be able to make amends after that: "The people of Nakhchivan are celebrating a wedding today, and the ice of many years has started to melt. If the government starts this process today, very serious measures will be taken."

According to Hajiyev, Vasif Talibov's actions have traces of crime: "I have said before that Vasif Talibov's sons want to create a state within the state of Azerbaijan. In this regard, very close contacts were established with Iran; Talibov's boys held meetings with certain political circles abroad. Now they are trying to find a way out of the situation, to show resistance. They are not alone; the forces behind them support them. For example, very close relations were established with certain branches of Russia and Armenia, including secret relations with Iran. All of them would be opened sooner or later."