Alleged Coup Attempt in Azerbaijan: Former 'Gray Cardinal' Accused of Plotting Against President Aliyev
Mehdiyev, 87, was arrested on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, and subsequently charged with actions aimed at seizing state power, high treason, and the legalisation of criminally obtained property. He has since been remanded into pre-trial detention, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing political tensions within the nation.
Pro-Government Media Unveils Alleged Plot Details
The day following Mehdiyev's arrest, prominent pro-government media outlets began to publish extensive details of the alleged plot. APA, a leading Azerbaijani media outlet, reported that Mehdiyev, with purported support from Russia, had 'prepared a plan for a coup d’état and proposed it to Russia through his own channels.' This claim suggests a complex international dimension to the alleged conspiracy.
Further elaborating on the plot, Vesti Baku, citing unnamed sources, claimed that the scheme had been nearly a year in the making. According to their report, Russian President Vladimir Putin allegedly informed President Aliyev about Mehdiyev's plans during a meeting in Dushanbe earlier in October, effectively thwarting the alleged coup.
Who is Ramiz Mehdiyev?
Ramiz Mehdiyev's career spans from the Soviet era, serving as a presidential aide under both Heydar Aliyev and his son, Ilham Aliyev, until his dismissal in 2019. He was widely regarded as instrumental in intensifying the crackdown on independent media and civil society in Azerbaijan. His dismissal was ostensibly to pave the way for a new generation of leaders.
Initially, Mehdiyev appeared to maintain a favorable standing with the government, receiving state awards and assuming symbolic roles, such as the presidency of Azerbaijan’s National Academy of Sciences. However, his downfall gained momentum in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Videos of his granddaughter's extravagant wedding, which blatantly violated social distancing regulations, went viral, sparking widespread public outrage and government condemnation. This incident led to fines and short jail sentences for several family members, and Mehdiyev himself was publicly humiliated on state television, leading to the gradual removal of his associates from power.
An anonymous Azerbaijani analyst, speaking to OC Media, described this process as a 'vengeance' inflicted by the new elite on the outgoing intelligentsia. The analyst suggested that while Mehdiyev likely felt disrespected and craved lost power, the notion of him plotting assassination might be 'far-fetched.'
The 'Coup Plan' and the AZAL Crash
The alleged coup plan is intricately linked with a reported collapse in Azerbaijan's relations with Russia, which were supposedly mended at the Dushanbe meeting where Putin allegedly revealed Mehdiyev's machinations. A key incident preceding this was the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) crash in December 2024, which resulted in 38 fatalities after the plane was struck by fragments of Russian air-defense missiles, mistakenly identified as a Ukrainian drone.
Vesti Baku presented a more sensational version of the plot, claiming Mehdiyev, alongside General Najmeddin Sadikov, intended to target Aliyev's plane during a trip to Saint Petersburg, a flight that coincided with the doomed AZAL flight. The report suggests the plotters mistakenly targeted the AZAL jet, believing it was Aliyev's. According to this narrative, Putin not only apologized for the crash but also revealed the assassination attempt and the names of the plotters during the Dushanbe meeting.
OC Media notes that it has not been able to independently verify the allegations made by Vesti Baku, and these accounts differ significantly from APA's description of the coup. In APA's version, Mehdiyev planned to establish and lead a 'State Council' as a temporary governing body after seizing power, even providing Russia with a list of individuals for this council. However, APA's account does not mention the alleged targeting of Aliyev's plane.
Despite these discrepancies, both APA and Vesti Baku concur on the unsuccessful conclusion of the scheme. APA reported that Mehdiyev had 'exhausted Russia’s patience' with his persistent requests, leading Russia to abandon him and inform Baku of his plans and network.