Nine foreigners suspected of espionage arrested in Azerbaijan in seven month

Ekho, Baku
21 Aug 04

Excerpt from E. Maliyev, N. Aliyev and E. Alakbarov’s report by
Azerbaijani newspaper Ekho on 21 August headlined “Nine suspected of
espionage” and subheaded “Citizens of Armenia, Iran, Russia, Georgia
and Japan have been detained in Azerbaijan since the beginning of this
year”

The Azerbaijani law-enforcement agencies have received information
about at least nine cases of espionage against Azerbaijan over the
seven months of this year. At the same time, Ekho has learnt from
informed sources in the law-enforcement agencies that all the arrested
people were foreigners.

Passage omitted: Ekho reported yesterday that the Iranian secret
services have thwarted acts of terror against Americans in Baku

The informed sources in the law-enforcement agencies also told Ekho
that the nine arrested foreigners were suspected of espionage: two
citizens of Armenia, two Iranians, two Russians, two Georgians and one
Japanese. The Azerbaijani National Security Ministry is not willing to
make public information about espionage against Azerbaijan. That’s why
scanty information is available.

As far as the latest case is concerned, Ekho has already reported that
the arrested Japanese national has been set free.

Passage omitted: details of the arrest

The source told Ekho about other cases too. Two Armenian and two
Georgian nationals were detained in a military unit in the town of
Sadarak of the Naxcivan Autonomous Republic Azerbaijani exclave. These
spies in military uniform infiltrated the military unit and tried to
get its secret documents, as well as information about its military
arsenal and personnel. The spies were detained by the military and
taken to the regional department of the National Security
Ministry. According to some reports, they are held in the ministry’s
remand centre at the moment while the special services are examining
the circumstances of the case.

Another spy, a Russian serviceman and ethnic Ukrainian Edgar
Kovalenko, according to some information, is possibly an employee of
the Russian special services. Kovalenko temporarily lived in a rented
flat in the settlement of Rasulzada of Binaqadi district Baku . The
National Security Ministry received information about his
activities. As a result of a special operation, the suspect was
detained in his flat. He is held in the ministry’s remand centre along
with his “colleagues”.

Ethnic Armenian Eduard Kazaryan, who is an employee of the Russian
special services, was detained at Heydar Aliyev airport in Baku . He
had two forged passports in his possession. The Azerbaijani special
services are examining the purpose of his visit at the moment.

As for Iranian citizen Muslim Seyyed Habib who is suspected of
espionage, the special services searched his flat in the settlement of
Yeni Gunasli Baku after his arrest. They discovered some secret
documents. At the moment, the secret services are trying to find out
where they have been taken from.

Another Iranian citizen has been detained in the area of Baku’s sea
promenade. When Ahmad Ali Umud was searched, the police discovered and
confiscated a 5.6-calibre pistol. The special services found out that
he lived in a rented flat. Ahmad Ali Umud is on the Iranian special
services’ wanted list as he is suspected of a premeditated murder. But
the National Security Ministry is in no hurry to extradite him.

Passage omitted: The Russian and Iranian embassies have not commented
on this report; background information; comments by an Azerbaijani
expert