The State Security Service (SSS) had reportedly been conducting technical surveillance on former Presidential Administration chief Ramiz Mehdiyev long before the launch of the criminal case against him, according to new information obtained by APA.
A decision by Baku’s Sabail District Court dated August 13, 2025, authorized the operational and technical monitoring activities targeting Mehdiyev.
The surveillance included the interception of communications and searches at the “Sherq-Qerb” publishing house and other locations.
This week, Mehdiyev’s defense team filed appeals challenging several pre-trial decisions, including those taken prior to the imposition of house arrest.
According to available data, the defense reviewed the SSS’s case materials and the corresponding court rulings.
While earlier reports mentioned only one lawyer, Zaur Abyev, it has now been confirmed that Mehdiyev is represented by three attorneys, though the names of two remain undisclosed.
Background
On October 14, 2025, the Sabail District Court placed Ramiz Enver oglu Mehdiyev under house arrest for four months as part of an SSS-led investigation. He faces charges under:
Article 278.1 – Actions aimed at seizing state power,
Article 274 – High treason,
Article 193-1.3.2 – Legalization of property obtained through criminal means.
Mehdiyev served as Head of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan from 1995 to 2019, making him one of the longest-serving and most influential figures in the country’s political establishment.
