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WikiLeaks has published a cable by the U.S. diplomat Don Lu. The cable features Azerbaijani Minister of Emergency Situations Kamaladdin Heydarov and his family.

The cable specifically says that “Kamala Heydarov is the most powerful member of this family, and some observers have said he might be even more powerful than the President himself.

“Kamaladdin Heydarov was the Chairman of the State Customs Committee for nine years… The State Customs position allowed him to gain his massive wealth, as significant illicit payments were paid “up the food chain” in an elaborate and well-orchestrated system of payoff and patronage. Heydarov likely still enjoys a sizeable income from the SCC, as it is controlled by his loyal successor. When President Ilham Aliyev appointed Heydarov as Minister of Emergency Situations in 2006, he was replaced at the SCC by his Deputy Aydin Aliyev.

“The Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) has consistently proven itself to be one of the most powerful ministries in Azerbaijan. It is suspected to have the largest revenue of any Ministry…Heydarov mentioned to a visiting Washington VIP in 2008 that his ministry had recently taken control of an anti-aircraft battery near Baku…

“Heydarov has readily admitted to visiting U.S. delegations that he owns and operates the Caspian Fish Company which controls the lucrative (and previously Russian Mafia-controlled) Beluga Caviar production in Azerbaijan.

“Heydarov’s son Tale is the President of The European Azerbaijan Society (TEAS)… The “society” purports to be an independent advocacy group, but its talking points very much reflect the goals and objectives of the GOAJ. In recent meetings, Tale and his cohorts have raised ‘Armenian aggression’ in Nagorno-Karabakh and ‘double standards’ of U.S. human rights and democracy reporting in the region, and complained about efforts of the U.S. Congress to provide humanitarian assistance within the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave.

“The next issue of “Who Owns What” will profile the family of Ziya Mammadov, the Minister of Transportation,” the cable says.

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