Accessibility links

Breaking News

Former Counterintelligence Officer Gets Prison Sentence In Azerbaijan


The headquarters of Azerbaijan's former Ministry for National Security (file photo)
The headquarters of Azerbaijan's former Ministry for National Security (file photo)

BAKU -- A former top officer of Azerbaijan's counterintelligence service, Colonel Miraziz Asgarov, has been sentenced to four years in jail on corruption charges.

The Baku Military Court issued the ruling on August 7 after finding Asgarov guilty of extortion, bribery, and abuse of office.

Asgarov led the Department of the Main Directorate for Counterintelligence of Azerbaijan's former Ministry for National Security (MTN).

In December 2015, President Ilham Aliyev dissolved the MTN and created two separate agencies, the State Security Service and the Foreign Intelligence Service.

Some 20 top officials from the dissolved ministry were arrested and charged with corruption at the time.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG