According to sources, the wave of critical material in the media and on social networks across several countries, which emerged following the detention of Adnan Ahmedzade — the former deputy head of the investment department at SOCAR — in Azerbaijan, may be linked to Fuad Agayev. Agayev, an Azerbaijani-born individual now residing in the West, presents himself as an independent observer and analyst on energy security, oil, and gas. The sources allege that the original texts were posted anonymously on a little-known portal, specifically euasia.news, before being disseminated through reposts on other platforms.
According to the sources, Fuad Agayev allegedly oversees the publication of materials on the Euasia website, where he is allegedly the editor-in-chief. According to the interlocutors, these texts are about prominent players in the energy market, including both public and private companies. However, the sources describe these publications as lacking sufficient evidence and falling short of professional journalistic standards, which can cause reputational damage to individuals and organizations. In recent days, Adnan Ahmedzade has been the centre of attention, along with private companies, individuals from Azerbaijan, and the state-owned oil company SOCAR. This rhetoric affects Azerbaijan’s interests and aims to harm both the country and individuals.
The portal has published articles about SOCAR, its foreign offices, and individual executives on various occasions. Some of these publications contain accusations that SOCAR has violated the EU restrictive measures imposed on Russia, as well as other unconfirmed allegations, which are potentially capable of provoking economic consequences for the company. Some of such materials were distributed from sources registered in Armenia and Ukraine. Given the long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as the increased attention of the EU institutions to Ukraine, the sources consider this fact to be an additional reason for questioning the authorship and motives of the publications; at the same time, they claim that the author conceals their identity and publishes materials anonymously.
Fuad Agayev’s identity has previously been the subject of public attention. For example, Global Village Space reported on his possible involvement in a campaign to pressure Azerbaijani opposition politician Vidad Iskanderli, including threats against him. Another article published on the Hocalihaber portal highlighted Agayev’s attempts to discredit other Azerbaijani entrepreneurs and public figures. The Azad Muhacir blog stated that Agayev has Armenian roots and previously went by the surname Aghayan. It also noted that his activities were accompanied by personal conflicts and aggressive rhetoric.
