Rovshan Javadov - March 1995 Events

March 1995 Events

On March 13, 1995, metal products worth a substantial amount of money belonging to one of the companies which was a member of Independent Traders Union of Azerbaijan were illegally seized by the members of Azerbaijani Secret Service loyal to Heydar Aliyev in Gazah and Agstafa regions of Azerbaijan. OPON members were accused of involvement in illegal cross-border trafficking even though the goods were seized within the territory of Azerbaijan. Presidential Guard members attacked OPON bases in Agstafa and Gazakh. They were quickly decimated and their commanders captured by OPON forces which were led by regional OPON commander Elchin Amiraslanov. The same afternoon Aliyev contacted Javadov and asked him to travel to Gazakh to settle the dispute. Aliyev accused Javadov of the unconstitutional action of "hijacking" the role of the Commander in Chief which is reserved for the President of the country.

Javadov ordered Elchin Amiraslanov to release all Presidential Guard captives. Javadov immediately returned to Baku to organize OPON reinforcements along the front lines. Upon his arrival in Baku he went straight to OPON headquarters and held a meeting of the OPON Command Council. During the meeting the OPON base was surrounded by Presidential Guards and PKK mercenaries. Aliyev accused Rovshan and Mahir Javadov of plotting a coup d'état and sent the pro-Aliyev militia to attack Javadov's residence in Baku under the command of Maharam Aliyev. The security personnel of Mahir Javadov, along with twenty OPON fighters who were in the area, counterattacked and blocked Maheram Aliyev inside a school which was used as an operational headquarters by the pro-Aliyev militia. On the early morning of March 14, Rovshan Javadov ordered Mahir Javadov to come to OPON headquarters on the outskirts of Baku. As Mahir Javadov arrived at OPON headquarters, the pro-Aliyev militia under the command of Rovshan Akperov, Najmedin Sadiqov and Madat Guliyev attacked OPON headquarters. After a 24-hour gun battle, the militia had still not taken the base so they began a siege. Rovshan Javadov tried to use diplomatic means to end the bloodshed and prevent a civil war. Javadov agreed to the negotiations set up by President of Turkey Suleiman Demirel to meet Heydar Aliyev at 8:00 am on March 17 and end the dispute peacefully.

On his way to meet Aliyev, Javadov was wounded by the pro-Aliyev militia and was taken to the Interior Ministry Hospital by his security personnel. Upon his arrival at the hospital, Presidential Guards arrested all five OPON soldiers guarding Javadov and prevented the doctors from giving medical aid to him. Javadov died of his wounds on March 17, 1995.

The brother of Rovshan Javadov, Mahir Javadov, escaped to Austria where he was given political asylum in 1996. In 1998 Mahir Javadov moved to the Islamic Republic of Iran where he remained until January 2003, and led the opposition against the regime of Heydar Aliyev.