Millions reported stolen from safe of president of Azerbaijan’s Academy of Sciences’ daughter in Germany

Azerbaijani elite and theft

According to an investigation by Gündəlik Azərbaycan, Günay Masimova, the daughter of Isa Habibbeyli, president of Azerbaijan’s National Academy of Sciences, has said that more than €1 million in cash and valuables were fraudulently stolen from a bank safe she had rented in Germany.

The incident occurred in early 2025 at a Sparkasse safe deposit facility in Nuremberg. Masimova returned to Baku without reporting it to the police. Meanwhile, those who came forward about the case claim they faced pressure from the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime, allegedly as an act of retaliation.

Günay Masimova’s move to Germany and her situation

According to an investigation by Gündəlik Azərbaycan, Günay Masimova, the daughter of Isa Habibbeyli, president of Azerbaijan’s National Academy of Sciences, said more than one million euros in cash and valuables were fraudulently stolen from a safe she had rented at a German bank.

The incident took place in early 2025 at a Sparkasse branch in Nuremberg. Masimova returned to Baku without reporting the theft to the police. Meanwhile, those who came forward about the case claim they faced pressure from the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime, allegedly as an act of retaliation.

Theft scheme: a safe, a key and middleman F.M.

How was the safe organised?

According to the investigation, Masimova decided to rent a safe at Sparkasse through her acquaintance F.M., who lives in Nuremberg. She was informed at the time that the safes were mainly intended for storing valuable documents and small amounts of cash, with access and control entirely in the hands of the client.

In Germany, the contents of such safes are known only to their owners: bank staff have no access and do not know what is inside. Insurance coverage is limited to €40,000, with additional coverage arranged by the client.

Moreover, under German and European Union regulations, anyone bringing in or taking out more than €10,000 in cash must declare it at customs. Failure to do so can attract the attention of law enforcement authorities.

Role of F.M.

According to the investigation, F.M. opened a hidden safe in the name of one of his acquaintances and then set up another safe in Masimova’s name, keeping the access card for himself.

When Masimova went to the bank, she did not know that her money and valuables had been placed not in her safe, but in the safe registered under F.M.’s friend’s name. Since Sparkasse branches do not inspect the contents of safes, the swap was not immediately detected.

How was the theft discovered?

In January 2025, Masimova went to the bank to collect her diamond-studded gold watch, only to find the safe empty.

According to the investigation, she later learned in a phone call that F.M. had moved her money and valuables to another safe, before stealing €790,000 in dollars and diamonds, as well as €330,000 in cash, and fled to one of the Baltic countries. The total loss thus exceeded €1 million.

• Son of former Azerbaijani regional leader buys hotel and land worth millions in Georgia
• Azerbaijan: selective punishment for financial violations – what “culture of corruption” looks like. Opinion
• The “caviar diplomacy” scandal: Azerbaijan’s lobbying in PACE and the Munich Court verdict

Refusal to report to the police and challenges in the investigation

Masimova did not report the theft to the police, as she knew she would be questioned about the source of the money, and returned to Baku.

German police only learned of the incident after Alesker Veliev — the father of the person in whose name F.M. had opened the hidden safe — came forward.

Although some of the stolen valuables have been recovered, the investigation cannot progress without Masimova’s involvement.

Pressure and involvement of the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime

According to the investigation, the family that reported the incident to the police later faced pressure. It is reported that while in Baku, Günay Masimova used the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (commonly known as the “Bandotdel”) to exact revenge.

In June, Alesker Veliev’s wife, Amalia Velieva, who had arrived in Baku on holiday, was detained at the airport and taken to the directorate, where, according to sources, she was forced to transfer an apartment worth 500,000 manats to Masimova.

Sources claim that Amalia Velieva was effectively held for six weeks and was only released after the property transfer was completed.

What is the “Bandotdel”?

The term “Bandotdel” comes from the Russian phrase “otdel po borbe s bandami” (department for combating gangs) and in Azerbaijan refers to the Chief Directorate for Combating Organised Crime of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

International human rights organisations have repeatedly reported cases of torture and pressure linked to this unit. In particular, Human Rights Watch reported in 2017 that two LGBT people were taken to the Bandotdel and subjected to torture.

The US State Department’s 2023 Human Rights Report also cites numerous credible reports of systematic torture and ill-treatment in the Bandotdel and district police stations.

Brief context on the ANAS and Isa Habibbeyli

History of ANAS

The National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan (ANAS) was founded on 23 January 1945 and is considered the country’s main coordinating body for scientific research and innovation. The Academy’s responsibilities include organising and coordinating scientific studies, strengthening the link between science and education, shaping science and technology policy, and fostering an innovative environment.

Activities of Isa Habibbeyli

According to open sources, Isa Akper oglu Habibbeyli is a literary scholar and former rector of Nakhchivan State University. Since 2013, he has served as vice-president of ANAS.

On 25 October 2022, he was elected president of the Academy, and his appointment was confirmed by the head of state the following day, 26 October.

He also chairs the parliamentary committee on science and education and is the author of 14 monographs and hundreds of scholarly articles.

Commentaries

So far, Günay Masimova and her family members have not made any official statements regarding the investigation. The National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan and Isa Habibbeyli’s office have declined to respond to press inquiries.

Azerbaijani elite and theft