Arif Heydarov

Arif Nazar oglu Heydarov (Azeri: Arif Nəzər oğlu Heydərov, June 28, 1926, Agdash region,Azerbaijan — June 29, 1978, Baku was Azerbaijan SSR|Soviet Azerbaijan outstanding public personality and law enforcement officer. Military rank - Lieutenant-General. He headed the Ministry for Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan from March 19, 1970 until his assassination on June 29, 1978. He started the service in the Intelligence Unit of the People's Commissariat for State Security of Soviet Union (predecessor of KGB) in 1944 at the age of 18. After he completed the training in the Special Tasks State Security School in Moscow he volunteered to the World War II combat operations. He was assigned to the field intelligence units in Poland and Germany. According to some unconfirmed data he was nominated for the Soviet Union's highest military decoration - Hero of the Soviet Union for the unprecedented bravery during the Vistula-Oder offensive operation by the Soviet Army in January 1945. However, this nomination was replaced by Combat Red Banner Order decoration. Heydarov served in the KGB Intelligence Department (First Chief Department, now SVR) and the intelligence units of Azerbaijan from 1944 up to 1970. His last intelligence position was deputy chief of station in Turkey allegedly in charge of foreign counter intelligence.

In March 1970 he was appointed Minister for Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan by then Leader of Communist Party of Azerbaijan and subsequently President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev. During the term of his mandate as Interior Minister Arif Heydarov implemented urgent reforms aimed to improve the quality of service by the law enforcement, enhanced the crime prevention and rapid response capabilities to incidents of criminal nature, optimized the governance and allocated additional resources to ensure better professional education and specialized training for the police personnel.

He was shot to death by a prison officer Zia Muradov in his office in Baku on June 29, 1978, along with his Deputy Salahaddin Kazimov. The investigation concluded that the murderer originally targeted Kazimov for alleged delay of addressing Muradov's promotion request. Kazimov coincidentally was present in the office of Heydarov for an internal meeting when Muradov after murdering Minister's assistant Safikhanov broke through the office of the Minister and started shooting to Kazimov. One of the meeting's participants, Colonel Ibrahimov, did not try to defend his high rank colleagues but instead managed to escape. He confirmed during the investigation that the murderer fired initially three shots to Kazimov but was unable to share any other details as he fled away the accident scene. Some data suggest that Muradov fired one shot to Arif Heydarov as the latter being an experienced special tasks force operative attempted to neutralize the murderer. The latter then shot himself to death. Heavily wounded Arif Heydarov passed away later on the same day in a hospital.

Arif Heydarov had a long history of personal friendship relationship with Heydar Aliyev. They used to collaborate during their service in KGB in 1950-1970 and classes in Azerbaijan State University in 1951-1957 and their initial contacts elevated to a strong personal affiliation. The promotion of Arif Heydarov to the Minister position was driven by Heydar Aliyev who wished to have a trustworthy and impeccable person in this strategically important state agency. While speaking at the ceremony devoted to the 70th birthday anniversary of Arif Heydarov on June 28, 1996 Heydar Aliyev called him "the General of the people of Azerbaijan" and emphasized that "his death became a big loss for our people, our republic and my personal loss. On the day of his death entire Azerbaijan was on a deep mourning".

Arif Heydarov's father - Nazar Heydar oglu Heydarov (Azeri language: Nəzər Heydər oğlı Heydərov) - was one of the prominent politicians in Azerbaijan, Head of the Azerbaijan SSR Parliament in 1949 - 1953.

In 1963 Arif Heydarov married Adila Heydarova who died in 2015. He had one daughter Leyla and two sons Murad and Maqsud.

Arif Heydarov was fluent in German, Russian, Turkish and Persian languages with decent English language skills.

Arif Heydarov was twice champion of Azerbaijan in rowing in 1950s.

General Arif Heydarov was buried at the Alley of Honor cemetery in Baku in front of the grave of his father.

A street in Baku, the Hospital under the Azerbaijan's Ministry for Internal Affairs, the Police School under the Azerbaijan's Ministry for Internal Affairs and the frontier post in Astara region under the Azerbaijan's State Border Service are named after Arif Heydarov.

Almost all data related to his assignment to KGB Intelligence service still remains classified top secret.

^[1] https://www.azerbaijan-news.az/posts/detail/general-deyaneti-1624655279 http://www.anl.az/down/meqale/azerbaycan/2016/iyun/497256.htm https://modern.az/az/news/37506/azerbaycanin-daxili-isler-naziri-anasinin-qatilini-niye-bagisladi-gizli-tarix https://hafta.az/xalqin-qelbinde-yasayan-arif-heyderov-238344-xeber.html https://azertag.az/xeber/ARIF_HEYDAROV_ADINA_SIRAVI_VA_KICHIK_RAIS_HEYATI_HAZIRLAYAN_MAKTABIN_HAZIRLIQ_KURSUNU_BITIRMIS_DINLAYICILARIN_ANDICHMA_MARASIMI_KECHIRILMISDIR-472434 http://old.xalqqazeti.com/az/news/health/87624 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5xTiou_k4M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm1F1AXVYcc https://generaltsvigun.ru/2018/06/29/%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%84-%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D0%B7%D0%B0-4-%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%BE-%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B0/ https://1news.az/society/20160628030341187.html https://m.navigator.az/news/4/214210.html https://www.azpress.az/index.php?lang=ru&sectionid=news&id=81668 https://lib.aliyev-heritage.org/ru/4806394.html https://haqqin.az/comics/213599

See also[]

• Minister of Internal Affairs of Azerbaijan

References[]

[1] https://www.azerbaijan-news.az/posts/detail/general-deyaneti-1624655279 http://www.anl.az/down/meqale/azerbaycan/2016/iyun/497256.htm https://modern.az/az/news/37506/azerbaycanin-daxili-isler-naziri-anasinin-qatilini-niye-bagisladi-gizli-tarix https://hafta.az/xalqin-qelbinde-yasayan-arif-heyderov-238344-xeber.html https://azertag.az/xeber/ARIF_HEYDAROV_ADINA_SIRAVI_VA_KICHIK_RAIS_HEYATI_HAZIRLAYAN_MAKTABIN_HAZIRLIQ_KURSUNU_BITIRMIS_DINLAYICILARIN_ANDICHMA_MARASIMI_KECHIRILMISDIR-472434 http://old.xalqqazeti.com/az/news/health/87624 http://www.azerbaijan-news.az/view-99914/kesfiyyatci-diplomat-nazir https://lib.aliyevheritage.org/az/4806394.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5xTiou_k4M https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm1F1AXVYcc https://generaltsvigun.ru/2018/06/29/%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%84-%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%B9%D0%B4%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2-%D0%B7%D0%B0-4-%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%B4%D0%B0-%D0%B4%D0%BE-%D1%83%D0%B1%D0%B8%D0%B9%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B0/ https://1news.az/society/20160628030341187.html https://kaspiy.az/news.php?id=28561#.YNrdsGgzaUk https://m.navigator.az/news/4/214210.html https://www.azpress.az/index.php?lang=ru&sectionid=news&id=81668 https://lib.aliyev-heritage.org/ru/4806394.html https://haqqin.az/comics/213599

Sources[]

• Azerbaijani Soviet Encyclopedia
• (in Russian)MIA.gov.az

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