Azerbaijani Support of PKK (II)
Former security officer says Azerbaijan arms PKK in Turkey
Source: Kavkaz-uzel.ru website, Moscow, in Russian 2 Sep 13 – A former Azerbaijani security officer has accused the country’s authorities of delivering weapons to Kurdish insurgents in Turkey. In an interview with a Russian regional news website, Ibrahim Musayev said Turac Zeynalov found and copied documents to this end, but was killed by the authorities while in custody.
Musayev said that at the National Security Ministry in Azerbaijan’s exclave Naxcivan he was in charge of obtaining information from Iran and foiled a plot to poison a lake with drinking water in Naxcivan. He said that he is now trying to receive a refugee status in Russia. Meanwhile, the Azerbaijani authorities put him on the international wanted list as a fraudster and seek his extradition from Russia.
The following is the text of Musayev’s interview by Russian Kavkazskiy Uzel website, specializing in news from the Caucasus, on 2 September; subheadings inserted editorially:
On 2 September 2013 the Yaroslavl Region court ruled on the extradition to Azerbaijan of Ibrahim Musayev, a member of the Naxcivan Autonomous Republic’s National Security Ministry (NSM) who sought a refugee status in Russia. In an interview with Kavkazskiy Uzel Musayev said that the Naxcivan authorities engage in sale of weapons to Kurdish terrorists in Turkey. He also said that in Azerbaijan he received the task to kill the wife of Turac Zeynalov, a driver who worked at the airport and was arrested on suspicion of spying for Iran. Turac Zeynalov died at the NSM in Naxcivan. Musayev said that it was Zeynalov who accidentally came into possession of documents that confirm deliveries of weapons to Turkish Kurds and made copies of them.
Recruitment into security services
[Correspondent] Ibrahim, please tell us how you began working for the Azerbaijani special service. Did you work there for long?
[Ibrahim Musayev] When I was in my ninth year in school I was accepted to the general military school in Naxcivan. I studied enthusiastically and liked my future profession. Armenia currently controls 20 per cent of our lands and I have the desire to take back these lands. In addition, I knew how to handle weapons: my father, who worked at the Interior Ministry prior to Heydar Aliyev coming to power [in 1993], taught me. That was back in the mid-1990s when the situation in the country was tense. We had pistols and an assault rifle at home. I was 16 back then.
But I was not allowed to complete my studies. I wished to pass exams ahead of time to receive my rank as soon as possible and to commence military service. This was possible. However, after the first year I met at the entrance to the school a man whose name was Ilqar Haciyev.
We talked and he told me that they received reports about all students and I was noted as one of the best. I was offered a job and told that they will continue teaching me.
I received documents under a different name and was sent to Turkey.First time I went there in November 2009 for three days and then in the beginning of 2010 for two months; apparently to study, but there was no teaching. I was given a plastic card and I just lived in a hotel and relaxed. Upon my return they told me that I successfully passed the first stage and did not explain what it was about. It seems they just checked how I will behave. Later I was sent to Iran many times, sometimes for one day and sometimes for two or three weeks.
Then in Naxcivan I began receiving specific tasks. From the beginning of 2010 I became an intern at the National Security Ministry. My father joined the opposition to the government when Heydar Aliyev came to power. There was an attempt on his life and he had to leave Azerbaijan in 2003 or 2004.
Back then I was asked what path I will choose for myself and I said that I am ready to become a member of Aliyev’s New Azerbaijan Party, that I will serve my nation and that my father’s political views are of no interest to me. For 15 years I have had no contact with my father: neither telephone calls, nor letters. He lived in Russia. And I understand that this was done in order not to endanger us. Some nuances concerning my father could impede my recruitment by the national security bodies. But I competently resolved them and proved that I was reliable.
[Correspondent] What was this about?
[Ibrahim Musayev] I was an intern of the NSM until I came of age and fulfilled various tasks: found out sentiments among members of an opposition party, received some information, tailed people and listened. For example, I was tasked to find out the sentiments among opposition activists. Information that I received was not significant and everybody knew this. I was simply confirming what was already known.
[Correspondent] Could there be pressure on you by remind you about your father’s opposition views if you declined to cooperate with the NSM?
[Ibrahim Musayev] There was no pressure on me concerning the fact thatmy father was in the opposition. By that time I already proved that Ihave different views and willingly cooperated with the ministry.
[Correspondent] What did change after you came of age?
[Ibrahim Musayev] When I turned 18 I was told that in order to be recruited by the government bodies I only lack a military service ticket and a tertiary education diploma. I asked the head of my department, Ilqar Haciyev how this matter could be settled and he said that this can be resolved for AZN30,000. Back then I had a plot of land, which I sold. Later I also sold two cars to buy a military ticket. I had my own business with my brother: we were selling cars and we were well off. As a result, I never even saw my diploma and only received the military ticket. All other documents are in the human resources department of the NSM. I received an employee ID (there is a copy of it) and was recruited in the rank of a lieutenant. This happened in 2010.
However, I realized that the bought diploma is nothing and I still need to receive education. I began studying architecture at the university. I dabble in drawing and therefore I passed the examinations on my own, without any patronage from the NSM. The ministry was not against this, but they asked that studies do not impede my work. My wife studied in the same university to become a psychologist. (Later both of us were expelled, for obvious reasons) Information from Iran
[Correspondent] After you officially became an NSM staff member, what
was your task?
[Ibrahim Musayev] Initially my job was to stand at the entrance to the
town of Naxcivan and worked as an aide to the counterintelligence
officer. I had this job for less than a year and then I began working
in the counterintelligence department. There I communicated with taxi
drivers who travelled to Iran to learn who travels to Iran frequently
and what these people talk about. I had to recruit people and form a
group to constantly supply me with information. I also had a person in
Iran, who briefed me on all matters of interest to the NSM.
I was often sent to Iran – always with different passports – to gather
information among people I myself found. Thanks to one such informant
I received a tip-off about a terrorism operation being prepared in
Azerbaijan. There is a lake near Naxcivan used for drinking water.
There is no fence around it and the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence,
which possessed a network of agents in Azerbaijan, was going to poison
water in the lake. I gathered an operation group and we caught these
people. I received thanks from the head of Naxcivan, Vasif Talibov,
for the successful conduct of the operation. I was promoted and
allowed to work in accordance with my own plan.
[Correspondent] What lake were they going to poison? Were you certain
that this was a genuine plot? What is this certainty based on?
[Ibrahim Musayev] Documents say that there was such a plot and I also
had testimonies by witnesses. When I worked there I made copies of all
documents that concerned the conduct of the operations I took part in.
Later I was sent as a counterintelligence officer to the international
airport of the town of Naxcivan. The special services of Iran and
Azerbaijan are in eternal struggle and seek to carry out some acts of
terror. Those districts of Iran that border Azerbaijan are populated
with ethnic Azerbaijanis. The Azerbaijani authorities always supply
them well with all necessities. When I worked at the airport I
meticulously monitored those Iranians who most frequently travelled
back and forth between the two countries. There was talk back then
that I will specialize in Iran.
Then I was taken to the ministry and began working there. I already
had tested people then and received information from them.
PKK documents
[Correspondent] You had problems in the NSM after Turac Zeynalov was
convicted for espionage for Iran in August 2011. What happened?
[Ibrahim Musayev] They wrote in the written account of detention that
Zeynalov works with the Iranian special services, but the reality was
completely different.
Twice a week a freight carrier flows from Baku to Naxcivan and it
carries various munitions and weapons. Zeynalov worked as a driver in
the group that services these planes. The serviceman who accompanied
the cargo and who had documents about the quantity of weapons and
their destination was once drunk. When the plane was being unloaded he
left the car and forgot documents. He also sent Zeynalov on a service
car to run some errands and at this moment Zeynalov made copies of the
documents left in the car. He made this when he saw that according to
the documents all munitions from Naxcivan are sent to Turkey to the
Kurdish terrorist organization PKK (transliterated as Partiya Karkeren
Kurdistan – Kavkazskiy Uzel’s note).
Zeynalov came into possession of these documents on 2 August 2011 and
was arrested on 24 August.
[Correspondent] Are you sure the authorities in Baku knew about these
deliveries?
[Ibrahim Musayev] Special locators have been installed at the border
to monitor both incoming and outgoing freight. Nobody, neither the
Azerbaijani, nor Naxcivan authorities can say that they know nothing
about this. Because these locators detect all metallic constructs. The
central monitoring of data from the locators is done from Baku.
[Correspondent] What did Zeynalov do with the copies?
[Ibrahim Musayev] He began distributing copies to his acquaintances.
He was found out and detained. Four more people were arrested. Three
of them were later released, but one was convicted for six years. But,
as far as I know, that man too has likely been released already.
Those four arrested with Zeynalov were in fact our people, who worked
for the NSM. When I asked my manager why they were arrested, he said
that these are our trumps and we will use them in the future.
These people provided false testimonies against Zeynalov as his
accomplices: as if together with him they met a member of the Iranian
intelligence service and handed over this information and photos. That
is, they slandered and framed him. Iran, by and large, had no need for
this information allegedly received from Turac.
[Correspondent] To how many acquaintances did Zeynalov provide the
copies? Does anybody have these copies today? Is it known who these
people are? What is their fate?
[Ibrahim Musayev] Zeynalov provided copies of documents to his
acquaintances in Naxcivan and also sent them abroad. The NSM does not
know these people, but I do.
Zeynalov’s detention
[Correspondent] How was Zeynalov detained?
[Ibrahim Musayev] They rang him on 24 August 2011 and he himself came
to the NSM, where he was detained and accused of espionage. At the
first questioning Turac said he understands that he was detained over
the copied documents. He also said that he was going to give the
received copies to newspapers. This was potentially an international
scandal.
The head of Naxcivan is a Kurd. Kurds in Turkey are in a state of
permanent war with the government. When viewed from the side of public
statements by politicians, Azerbaijan cooperates with Turkey and there
are no tense relations internationally. And here are weapons sent to
Kurds in Turkey from Azerbaijan. It seems that we act against Turkey.
But this has been clear to everybody long ago that Azerbaijan supports
PKK. Even Turkish TV reported that canned food from Azerbaijan was
sent to PKK. I had my guesses that there were some contacts with PKK,
but had no direct evidence.
Zeynalov is the first person who had documents on his hands. Haciyev
said that this is a very serious business concerning Azerbaijan’s
relations with Turkey and nobody wants to risk.
[Correspondent] How did it turn out that after detention Zeynalov ended up dead?
[Ibrahim Musayev] I wanted to help Turac. In this case it would have
been better if he signed the document that he actually cooperated with
the Iranian intelligence. He would have been convicted, while I could
contact international human rights organizations, provide them with
documents that Turac had and release him. But he did not agree. He did
not believe me.
I did not know Zeynalov prior to his arrest, but I knew that he had no
links with the Iranian security services and that it is our government
and the NSM leadership that committed the betrayal. I pitied him and
therefore I wanted to help him.
He was in detention until 27. Every day he was strongly tortured with
special electric equipment. He still refused to sign the documents.
Turac is not the first person to be subjected to this and not the
first one who was killed.
At 0700 [0300 gmt] on 27 August we were all at work and Ilqar Haciyev
personally told me that there is an order to execute Zeynalov. My
conversation with Haciyev took place in his office and lasted around
15 minutes. I said it was clear for everyone that Zeynalov was not
guilty. But I was told that if he is not killed then he can talk from
prison about what he knows. Haciyev said that this is a very serious
business concerning Azerbaijan’s relations with Turkey and nobody
wants to risk.
It is essential to understand that PKK receives its finances from
Naxcivan’s budget, while Naxcivan receives funds from Azerbaijan. All
hotels, filling stations, construction companies and banks in Naxcivan
are private and owned by Kurds. I have the documents concerning the
ownership registration. Millions of manats are in turnover in Naxcivan
and money are sent from there to PKK. The ministers and MPs in
Azerbaijan cannot issue any decree concerning the autonomous republic,
because they are afraid. Kurds are very strong, including in the
financial sense.
I am trying to take this case to the end. I will give my life. I will
prove and show this everywhere. I would like to show during this
[October 2013] presidential election the crimes of this government. I
have no fear for myself, but my wife, daughter, mother, brother, aunt
and her sons are in Naxcivan. Every day somebody is arrested for
several days. They broke the telephone shop they owned. My aunt was
fired from work.
Since I am a former employee of the Azerbaijani security service, no
country in the world will accept me as a refugee or provide me with a
political shelter.
[Correspondent] You said that your wife came to Russia with you. Why
is she in Azerbaijan now?
[Ibrahim Musayev] She left in the beginning of 2013 because I lacked
funds to keep her and the child here.
Zeynalov’s execution
[Correspondent] Did you see Zeynalov’s execution?
[Ibrahim Musayev] When it came to the execution, I was with Tamahov, a
NSM staff member in charge of tapping and secret video surveillance. I
came with him and everything that happened during the killing of
Zeynalov was filmed. I did not participate or watch this.
Turac was killed with the use of a jack-winch. When this happens, they
put a noose around the neck, tie the legs and the neck is literally
thorn out using tension. The man dies within five seconds. They killed
Turac. He was 33 or 34. This happened on 27 August. (Although it is
written everywhere, for some reason, that this was on 28 August).
Then they discussed how to justify Zeynalov’s death for the relatives,
although this was already partially prepared. They decided to make an
autopsy and the expert will say that Turac died from a thrombus
formation in the lung. The marks of torture by electricity and
beatings were still very visible, so they also wrote that he had a
skin cancer.
But I asked how to explain the traces from the noose on the neck. This
would become a high-profile case because all relatives knew that Turac
was summoned to the National Security Ministry. Then they decided that
they will cut the head along the trace of the noose and then sew it
back. As if the forensic medical expert did so, although this is not
usually done during autopsy.
Zeynalov’s relatives
[Correspondent] How did relatives react to Zeynalov’s death?
[Ibrahim Musayev] At first the body was not given to them, but human
rights activist Malahat Nasibova made a stir. The minister then said
that if Malahat is here, then there will be a scandal and they decided
to hand over the body.
[Correspondent] When did they give the body?
[Ibrahim Musayev] They returned the body on 28 August. The relatives
filmed the moment and put the video on the internet. Then they buried
him. Everybody in the village where Zeynalov lived was warned that
they will be fired from jobs if they attend the funerals. But people
still came. There were many people.
These are actually hard times in Azerbaijan. In a village neighbours
are not aware who informers are. There are many informants. People
cannot make money and for little money they can even betray their
brother.
After the funerals the relatives of Turac were told not to raise a
stir and promised that they will receive a compensation of 50,000
manat (As of 31 August 2013 the Russian Federation Central Bank’s
exchange rate for one Azerbaijani manat is R42.4182 – Kavkazskiy
Uzel’s note) and drop the charges. The relatives waited for the NSM to
pay them this money as compensation and close the case, but the case
was not closed. The diseased was convicted for high treason and
received a sentence, although there is no legal basis for this. This
was done in order to fire his relatives and hurt them – as relatives
of the national traitor.
The relatives waited for 50,000 manat for three months, but the
minister did not give even 0.5 manats. The NSM had to gain some time.
Malahat suggested making a stir, but only three months later did
relatives asked her for help. Then Turac’s father, Turac’s wife Gulnar
Agayeva and Malahat Nasibova flew to Baku and began appealing to all
human rights organizations, the UN mission and so on. They were hurt
to the extent that they had no claims and only asked that their son be
acquitted. This is a shame for the family.
In November 2011 I was given the task to compromise Turac’s wife as my
lover, to sleep with her and secretly film this. This is very serious
for a Caucasian woman. There was also a task to catch her with drugs,
for me to suggest that she become a drug courier. For a long time I
refused to do this and I was threatened not with demotion, but with
hurting my relatives: mother, brother and aunt. I had no options.
Order to kill
[Correspondent] That is, you compromised her?
[Ibrahim Musayev] I did everything I was told. Back in November 2011
in Baku after the first telephone conversation she got in touch with
me and agreed to meetings. I have all records, all video recordings
and communication via Facebook. Gulnara refused to carry drugs, but
she had an affair with me and this secretly filmed. Tamahov was in
charge of filming. This all happened in Baku and then continued in
Naxcivan.
Several people from the NSM in the police uniform broke into the flat
in Naxcivan when Gulnara was naked. They found drugs with me and her.
They filmed her naked for a long time.
In August 2012 she called our minister Asgarov and told him that she
knows a NSM operative set her up and that she will pursue this to the
end. She wanted to tell journalists about this.
In the summer 2012 (I was already married then) I was told that I have
to kill her. They feared the noise that she may make. This would hurt
the ministry’s standing and those above.
I said that I will not kill and wanted to leave, but I heard the
pistol’s bolt clicking. I thought that I will be shot now and turned
around, but the minister had put the pistol to his own head and while
shaking accused me of framing him. I went back and we talked. Later I
kept on dragging this out.
[Correspondent] What is happening with Gulnara now?
[Ibrahim Musayev] Now she cooperates with them. She says on camera
that her husband died from fear after committing a treason. She
confirms that he was sick and that he had a cancer. She says that she
has no claims.
Refugee status
[Correspondent] Please tell us how you ended up in Russia.
[Ibrahim Musayev] I arrived in Russia on 2 September 2012, and my wife
joined me on 12 September. She was pregnant then.
Until December we lived in Yaroslavl. Then me and my relatives noted
that strangers take photos of me on the street and it became clear
that I am being followed. In January we decided to refer to an NGO in
Moscow, Civil Assistance, in order to receive the refugee status. We
began preparing documents. I was given a document instead of the
passport and a certification of application for refugee status. They
took the Azerbaijani passport. Civil Assistance helped us much.
When I was in the Federal Migration Service I was told that I was put
on the international wanted list starting from 14 December 2012 by the
Azerbaijani special services and that they want me sent back to
Azerbaijan. They will silence me for good, kill me, if this happens.
They want me to keep silent because I have information about staff
members of the NSM in the town of Naxcivan, and there are copies of
documents concerning all operations I took part in.
On 2 January 2013 I applied for the refugee status. My application was
to be considered within three months, but I was arrested after one
month.
[Correspondent] Why did you choose Russia?
[Ibrahim Musayev] My father has lived here for 15 and I hoped he will help.
Remaining documents
[Correspondent] How did you manage to leave Azerbaijan?
[Ibrahim Musayev] I did not flee Azerbaijan and came to Russia
legally. The NSM of Naxcivan and the NSM of Azerbaijan were aware,
they sent me to Russia. I will not say what the goal was. Then they
sent my wife too after 10 days. I ceased any links with the NSM after
my wife came. There are some nuances, but I cannot talk about them
because of security concerns.
I have video and audio recordings of the Azerbaijani president, head
of the Naxcivan Autonomous Republic and our minister. There are
documents. I can give all of it even today. But I require support and
I cannot get it in Russia. I have to leave Russia. Here I spent six
months in a remand centre as a person on the international wanted list
as a fraudster – allegedly I took from somebody R90,000 for a wedding.
But there is no written evidence. These are not even specific money I
allegedly borrowed. Products for the wedding were bought with this
money. Moreover, this concerns civil law, not criminal law.
Trial in Russia
[Correspondent] How did you end up in the remand centre?
[Ibrahim Musayev] I was in Moscow when my daughter was born, then we
went to Yaroslavl and I was arrested on 5 February 2013 in my father’s
house by the Federal Migration Service. They sent me to a remand
centre in the Frunze regional body of internal affairs. The trial was
on 7 February.
They treated me very roughly in the remand centre and beat me several
times. I suffer from pneumonia and now I find it hard to breath and
move. Over the six months in the remand centre only three times I was
allowed to receive deliveries. Why was this? Because there were
directives. Because Azerbaijani officials agreed with their Russian
counterparts that I will be handed over to them.
I left the remand centre because the allowed period of detention
expired and was detained just five minutes later. They began to
prepare a ridiculous written account: you have been in Russia
illegally since May and after the court rules today you will be
extradited. I told them that I was in the remand centre since May and
that my registration must be documented. I did not sign the written
account. They took me to court, but the judge refused them.
But I committed to not leaving the country, even though the article under which I was put on the international wanted list is simply absurd.
There is no justice, no law here in Russia!