Thursday, July 17 2014

The Ministry of National Security and the General Prosecutor's Office issued a joint statement on the case of Rauf Mirkadirov. This statement appeared on the site of the prosecutor office morning of July 17. However, on the eve of the authorities gave leakage publishing this document in a number of pro-government media.

The statement said that there were "reasonable suspicions of conscious cooperation of Mirkadirov's treason in cooperation with the secret police of Armenia," in connection with which he was arrested on April 19 and April 21 this year arrested under Article 274 of the Criminal Code.

Further, the report presents "detective" story that some citizens of Azerbaijan, whose names were not disclosed, when in Georgia, received two discs from a man named Samvel. Browsing the titles, they realized that the shooting affects national interests and security of Azerbaijan. Therefore, these discs were sent by registered mail to the Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan.

"The disks imprinted shot from February 2, 2009, made in one of the restaurants in Tbilisi. The shooting was without mounting elements and it can be seen that Rauf Mirkadirov talks with Laura Baghdasaryan and Araik Shirvanyan and gets money from them and signs this."

Rauf Mirkadirov had been cooperating with the Region Center, which is headed by Laura Baghdasaryan, since 2008.
"According to the operative data, the center is operated by the Armenian secret service to collaborate with well-known representatives of civil society and media in Azerbaijan, inviting them to events in other countries.
In fact, the aim is to engage in reconnaissance and sabotage activities, and by material interest, get information about the socio-political situation in the country, economic projects, and possible changes in the Karabakh settlement on the military situation," the statement said.
Next MNS and the Prosecution argue that the Centre Region under the guise of journalism has been operating since 2002 and in this regard, makes cooperation with the Institute for Peace and Democracy, led by Leyla Yunus.

"In order to obtain intelligence information and with the help of grants from foreign donors, the Centre organized trips of Mirkadirov to Armenia. At the same time they made ??serious attempts to engage several citizens of Azerbaijan."
Further, the report says that during an international conference with the participation of representatives of Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan Rauf Mirkadirov held a "closed meeting with the former chief of the National Security Service of Armenia David Shahnazaryan.

After this meeting, Mirkadyrov in his e-mails with Laura Baghdasaryan noted that he agrees with Shahnazaryan on the Karabakh conflict settlement.
Next he collected and forwarded representing state secret materials about the socio-political situation, the military-technical potential, military units, airfields, energy and other strategic sites along with diagrams and photographs.

In addition, the messages conveyed by Mirkadirov included schemes and photographs of the Zikh highway, which is purported to be used by U.S. aircraft as the runway for future U.S. military action against Iran, and said that the Azerbaijani authorities have agreed to conduct such operations.
These data were used by special services of Armenia to harm Azerbaijani-Iranian relations,” the statement said.
In 2008-2013 Rauf Mirkadirov made several visits to Armenia via Georgia and did not inform the management of his newspaper, the public and the authorities of Azerbaijan of this.

"Feeling threatened with exposure of his espionage activities Mirkadirov left Azerbaijan on July 29, 2010, and permanently resided in Turkey without coming to Azerbaijan. After the liquidation of his accreditation by the Turkish authorities, Mirkadirov appealed for help to David Shahnazaryan to support his family," the statement reads, contact.az reported.