Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

On August 24, 2020, on the official website of ANAS, commenting on the campaign of insults and slander against me by some MPs in newspapers and electronic media, I hoped that all questions would be clarified. However, after the publication of the statement, the repetition of the same accusations and slander in an even more ugly form convinced me of the need for a new statement.

The accusations of those who attacked me, including a number of members of parliament, which was dissolved last year due to the mistrust of President Ilham Aliyev, are ludicrous and unfounded. So, they accuse me of leading the "fifth column" of Russia in Azerbaijan and creating artificial obstacles to the reforms of the head of state during my tenure as head of the Presidential Administration.

First of all, I would like to remind those who rushed to the middle in order to attract interested forces, regardless of who they are, the thoughts expressed by Mr. President on October 23, 2019 during the presentation of the highest award of our country - the Heydar Aliyev Order. On the same day, the head of state expressed gratitude to me in front of everyone for my fruitful work and achievements in the field of management. He stated that the interests of the state have always been above all for me. Ilham Aliyev also recalled that although Heydar Aliyev was betrayed by many when he was removed from his high post in Moscow, Ramiz Mehdiyev deserves respect as one of the few who remained faithful to the great leader to the end. For me personally, there can be no opinion or thought higher than this assessment of the President. However, it seems that those who are trying to denigrate me, contrary to the position of the head of state, are serving completely different forces that are trying to create chaos in Azerbaijan and the circles interested in overshadowing the activities of the President. I ask them openly, “Ladies and gentlemen, who do you serve? Maybe my president and your president are different people? Where do you get the courage to slander a man who for 49 years was a faithful companion of Heydar Aliyev and Ilham Aliyev and selflessly served this state? If you have the courage, please answer my questions clearly. Your answer will be very useful in terms of exposing the real "fifth column" in the government.

I would like to draw the attention of those who dream of fishing in troubled waters that the creation and strengthening of the state, the material benefits of which you use to the left and to the right, is not your merit, but the merit of the national leader Heydar Aliyev, President Ilham Aliyev and their loyal associates. Those who have come to everything ready today should understand that by slandering the faithful companions of the national leader and Mr. President, they, above all, darken an important period in our 30-year history of independence. It turns out that during this entire period, the “fifth column” was entrusted with one of the most important positions in the country, and its leader was entrusted with solving the fateful problems of the state. Agree that these ideas sound very absurd, and they can only be the product of an unhealthy imagination, the statements of which are inversely proportional to their abilities and capabilities. It's hard for me to give it another name. This is only the moral side of the issue.

The political and legal aspects of the issue are even more serious than its morality. Those who voice biased fabrications know that defamation and insults made without evidence entail legal liability. Accusing a person, especially an official, of high treason is a grave crime. In accordance with Articles 147 (defamation) and 148 (insult) of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the dissemination of information in public speeches and the media that discredits the honor and dignity of a person or business reputation, as well as deliberate humiliation of the honor and dignity of a person in the information resources of the Internet leads to punishment. in the form of imprisonment. In this regard, as a citizen, I reserve the right to defend my honor and dignity in court. The deputies who hypocritically slandered and insulted me Fazail Agamali, Malahat Ibrahimgizi, Samad Seyidov, Adil Aliyev, Musa Gasimli, Ganira Pashayeva, Elman Nasirov, Hikmet Babaoglu, Eldar Guliyev, Ulvi Guliyev, Hijran Huseynova, Javid Osmanov, Shahin Ismayilov, Siyavush Novruzov, political scientists Eldar Namazov, Elkhan Shahinoglu, Elchin Mirzabeyli, former officials Hajibala Abutalibov, Abid Sharifov, Maksim Musayev, party leaders - chairman of the "Ag Party" Tural Abbasli, chairman of the AMIP Arzukhan Alizade, chairman of the party "Boyuk Azerbaijan" Elshad Musayev, head of the Turan party Jahandar Bayoglu, editors of the newspapers Rauf Arifoglu, Bakhtiyar Sadigov and Sardar Jalaloglu should not forget that if the proceedings continue in the same vein, I can exercise my right to go to court at any time.

I am confident in my past and present. I am always ready to face my past, and my present day is in front of everyone's eyes. Unlike many who accuse me, I have served only one faith all my life, and I am proud of it! And henceforth no one can turn me off the path I have chosen! But I wonder if those who blame me are sure? Will they be able to sign with the same confidence what was said yesterday today and tomorrow? This smear campaign showed that while the real opposition had one face, some parliamentarians, former officials and journalists who had shown loyalty to the government could have more than one face if necessary.

Those who have become the instrument of such ugly games should take into account that they create serious problems for our independent state, first of all, often mentioning Russia in their speeches. In fact, they accuse Russia of forming a large espionage network in the governing structures of our country, thereby giving some interested circles in Moscow a reason to provoke Azerbaijan. Such irresponsible and dangerous games should be avoided. Not a single Azerbaijani who is not indifferent to the future of his people, the stability and prosperity of his homeland, should not commit such actions. Everyone should think about the meaning of their statement, what effect it will have and what dangerous problems it will cause. Especially if we take into account the geopolitical sensitivity of the region where Azerbaijan is located, all political statements made in our country must be carefully weighed.