A court in Azerbaijan convened to hear the case of an 18-year-old accused of plotting a terrorist attack on a synagogue in the capital, Baku. On Monday, the Grave Crimes Court heard the case of Abdallah Aliyev, 18, from Sumqayit, Azerbaijan’s second-largest city.
According to the indictment, Aliyev was driven by extremist religious ideology and inspired by the Islamic State (ISIS). Testimony presented in court suggested he had also planned additional attacks. A key witness described meeting Aliyev on Instagram in November 2024 and later joining encrypted chat groups he had created.
The witness said Aliyev expressed radical views, praised ISIS, and claimed to be in contact with one of its members. He allegedly asked for help obtaining improvised weapons—including a knife, axe and Molotov cocktails—and said he planned to disguise himself in dark clothing and cover his face.
Aliyev was quoted as saying: “I intend to carry out the attack at all costs. After that, when the time comes, I’ll blow up other places too. I want to die a martyr, and you’ll continue what I started.” The two were arrested on their way to the synagogue by Azerbaijan’s State Security Service (SGB). A search revealed they were carrying flammable materials, knives and masks prepared in advance.
Investigators later found that on December 28, 2024, Aliyev had already driven to the synagogue with improvised weapons, intending to launch an attack before being intercepted. Authorities say he is affiliated with ISIS’s Khorasan branch, considered one of the group’s most dangerous and ideologically driven offshoots.
Aliyev faces multiple charges under Azerbaijani law, including planning and committing a terrorist act as part of an organized group; carrying out terrorism using weapons or improvised devices; terrorism motivated by religious hatred; and membership in a terrorist organization. His next hearing is scheduled for September 22, 2025.
