In the comments about Ramiz Mehdiyev, who was placed under house arrest on charges of attempted seizure of power by force, treason to the state, and legalization of a large amount of property obtained through criminal means, the expression “fifth column” is often encountered. Mehdiyev, accused of secret relations with Russia, is characterized as a representative of the “fifth column.”
So, what is the “fifth column”?
Medianews.az answers this question by quoting a passage from Ramiz Mehdiyev’s article titled “Double Standards, the World Order, and Contemporary Azerbaijan” from December 2014.
In that article, Ramiz Mehdiyev writes: “The ‘fifth column’ can vary in different countries. Experience shows that relevant experts thoroughly study the situation in a specific country and, depending on many factors, select certain groups of the population to form the ‘fifth column’ from these groups.”
It is known that this concept was first used in the mid-1930s by the Francoist forces attacking Madrid. At that time, General Franco’s army was attacking Madrid with four columns, and the so-called fifth column referred to the disruptive activities of his agents and saboteurs working on the home front. Over the following years, the meaning of this term has changed considerably.
Today, there are many interpretations of the concept of the “fifth column” – ranging from domestic espionage networks to compact ethnic and religious groups serving the interests of other states. Historians use this term to refer to the subversive espionage of enemy countries. Often, this term is equated with collaborationism, meaning conscious, voluntary, and deliberate cooperation with the enemy to the detriment of one’s own state. Thus, the “fifth column” consists of individuals, groups of people, organizations, and movements that directly or indirectly work for foreign governments and seek to harm their own country’s national interests by various means and methods.”
Born in 1938, Ramiz Mehdiyev is a Doctor of Philosophical Sciences and a full member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. In the Soviet period during the 1970s-1980s, he held responsible positions in Azerbaijan’s Komsomol and party organizations, including the head of department and secretary of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party. Since 1994, he directed the General Department of the Presidential Executive Office, served as the head of the Presidential Administration (called the Presidential Executive Office until 2009) from 1995 until October 23, 2019, and was the president of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences from October 23, 2019, until February 19, 2022.
The news of Ramiz Mehdiyev being accused of crimes was reported on October 14, 2025. The investigation was conducted by the State Security Service, and it was announced that the Sabail District Court decided on a preventive measure of 4 months’ house arrest for Ramiz Mehdiyev.
