Minister of Press and Information: Siruz Khudat ogli Tabrizli, born 1942 in Tabriz, Iran. A writer, poet, former journalist. Holds democratic views but is a strong supporter of President Heidar Aliyev. Member of parliament and a leader of Aliyev’s New Azerbaijan party. Serves as minister under the “List of 18” exception which allows 15 percent of deputies to hold executive posts concurrently with parliamentary duties. Address: Ministry of Press and Information, No. 12 A. Karayev St., Baku. Tel: (994 12) 92-67-47, 92-93-33.
Chief censor: Jahangir Ildrimzadeh, long-time Communist Party worker; served in the Main Administration for the Protection of State Secrets (Glavlit) under President Ayaz Mutalibov. Gave interview to Sharg news agency on June 9, 1995, then refused permission for publication. Address: Ministry of Press and Information, 4 Gusei Gadzhieva St., Baku. Tel: (994-12) 92-50-07. Censor’s office at State Radio and Television, telephone: (994 12) 39-85-85.
Chief of State Radio and Television: Nizami Khudiyev, 49, graduate of the Azerbaijan Teachers Institute, 1970; doctor of philology; former rector of Azerbaijan Pedagogical University. Author of 25 books; member of the governing board of Aliyev’s New Azerbaijan party. Parliamentary deputy; holds executive post under the exception of “List of 18.” Tel: (994-12) 92-38-07; 98-47-20.
Presidential Chief of Staff: Ramiz Enver ogli Mekhtiev, born 1938 in Baku. Worked as a machinist on the Caspian steamship lines. History graduate of Azerbaijan State University. Secretary for ideology of the former Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party. Parliamentary deputy; holds an executive post under the exception of the “List of 18.” Tel: (994 12) 92-31-54.
Presidential Advisor: Eldar Sagif ogli Namazov, born 1956 in the Akstafinskii region; founder of the Center for International and Strategic Studies in Baku, which created the newspaper Panorama and the news agency Eksklusiv. Parliamentary deputy; holds executive post under the exception of the “List of 18.” Tel: (994-12) 92-09-16; 92-89-50; 98-09-60.
| Chief of the Social/Political Department in the presidential office: Ali Gasanov, born 1960; history degree from Moscow State University. A former functionary of the Communist Youth League (Komsomol), he worked from 1993 to 1996 in the ideological department of Aliyev’s New Azerbaijan party. A supporter of censorship, he oversees media, especially television.
Chief of presidential press service: Salakhaddin Guliev, born 1958 at Sefikurd. As a young man, Guliev worked on the Zhdanov collective farm before serving in the Soviet army. He studied Russian language and literature at Azerbaijan Pedagogical Institute, 1980-1985, then worked for the evening newspaper Baku, from 1985-90. From 1991-1992 he was an editor at the Azerbaijan State Committee on the Press, and became chief of the presidential press service in 1994. His work at the press service has been largely confined to organizing press meetings and dealing with protocol issues. He is known to favor control of the media through censorship. Members of Milli Medjlis (Parliament): Nazim Muzaffar ogli Imanov, born in 1955 in Baku. Graduated from Institute of National Economy and worked until 1979 in the Institute of Economics of Gosplan. Considered and up-and-coming politician. Supportive of the press. Sabir Khudu ogli Rustamxanli, 51, poet and journalist; minister of press under Presidents Mutalibov, Elchibey, Aliyev. A supporter of press freedoms and an active supporter of the Popular Front movement. A member of the Supreme Soviet and later the Milli Medjlis. Between 1989-1991, chief editor of the newspaper of the Committee to Help Karabakh. Resigned from parliament in protest over the flawed 1995 parliamentary elections. Jallal Alirza ogli Aliyev (president’s brother), born 1928 in Armenia; degree in biology from Azerbaijan State University. An agricultural expert; held managerial posts |