Haji Mammadov

Case record

Haji Mammadov was a former officer of the Crime Investigation Department of the Interior Ministry of Azerbaijan.

The offence

Mammadov was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 11 people and for kidnapping of 10 people.

The prosecutors said the gang killed 11 people and kidnapped 10 relatives of businessmen in Azerbaijan over the past decade and received a total of about US$5 million in ransom money.

Investigation

The prosecutors identified Haji Mammadov as the gang leader.

Arrest

The National Security Ministry detained Haji Mammadov and the members of his gang on March 10, 2005.

Trial

Twenty-six people in the gang were tried in court. They were accused under article 120 (deliberate slaughter) and article 144 (kidnapping) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.

The trial lasted six months at the grave crimes court in the capital, Baku.

The court sentenced 10 people, including several former top police officials, to life in prison. Among those sentenced to life were:

• Zakir Nasirov, a former head of the Interior Ministry's criminal investigations department, who was stripped of his general's rank.
• Haji Mammadov, whom prosecutors said was the gang leader.

The prosecutors said that among the victims killed by the gang were:

• Azer Ismayilov, department chief of Office to Fight Narcotic Drugs.
• Fetullah Huseynov.
• Rovshen Aliyev, a criminalist investigator who uncovered the gang.
• Fatullah Huseynov.

Other sentencing outcomes reported for the other defendants were:

• Another 13 defendants were sentenced to prison terms ranging from eight to 15 years.
• Two defendants were given two-year suspended sentences.
• One defendant was released.
• Four defendants, including three sentenced to life, were Russian citizens and ethnic Chechens.

The court also sentenced to life:

• Kamil Sadraddinov, former deputy chief of the Interior Ministry's internal security department.

Sentencing

Haji Mammadov received a life sentence.

The following other defendants also received life sentences:

• Musa Dabiyev
• Eldar Rehimov
• Farhad Mammadbeyov
• Aslanbek Chintamirov
• Malik Mammadov

The record also states the following life sentences and property-related consequences:

• Husain Abdulvahabov — lifetime
• Husain Abdulvahabov — confiscation of properties (as part of the reported sentence terms)
• Zakir Nasirov — lifetime, confiscation of properties, and deprival of state title and awards
• Kamil Sedreddinov — lifetime, confiscation of properties, and deprival of state title
• Yagir Mammadov — lifetime

The record lists prison terms for other defendants:

• Nizami Abdullayev — 15 years and confiscation of property
• Sidek Abdulvahabov — 15 years
• Rovshen Agayev — 15 years
• Naile Guliyeva — 13 years and confiscation of property
• Edalet Asadullayev — 12 years
• Novruz Nuriyev — 12 years
• Aligulu Guliyev — 10 years
• Nishad Ismayilov — 10 years and confiscation of property
• Faig Guliyev — 9 years
• Elchin Aliyev — 9 years and confiscation of property
• Mehman Hasanov — 8 years
• Fariz Hamidov — 8 years
• Elshen Mirzayev — 8 years
• Agil Huseynov — 2 year suspended sentence (not to hold any position)
• Azer Huseynov — 2 year suspended sentence

Victims and kidnapping

The record lists a kidnapping victim:

• Zamira Hajiyeva, wife of the Chair of the Board of Directors of the International Bank of Azerbaijan, Jahangir Hajiyev

The record also includes names connected to kidnapping:

• Musa Dabuyev
• Shirkhan Albiyev
• Ahmed Mammadov — son of the Azersigorta state Company Chief Mammad Mammadov
• Ogtay Babayev

Timeline

• March 10, 2005 — The National Security Ministry detained Haji Mammadov and the members of his gang.
• January 19, 2007 — A court sentenced 10 people, including several former top police officials, to life in prison after convicting them of involvement in a gang accused of killings and kidnappings.
• September 17, 2007 — Haji Mammadov was sentenced to life in prison.

Other details

Haji Mammadov was described as still holding his post when he was detained in March 2005.

The sentencing included the confiscation of properties and deprivation of state title and awards for some of the other defendants, as listed in the sentencing section.

The record includes a reported question mark in the ransom figure, stating “about US$5 million (?3.9 million) in ransom money.”