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Leyla Aliyeva

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This article is about the daughter of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. For the television presenter, see Leyla Aliyeva (presenter).
Leyla Aliyeva
Leyla Əliyeva
Aliyeva in 2015
Vice President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation
Incumbent
Assumed office
2011
PresidentMehriban Aliyeva
Preceded byPosition established
Personal details
Born (1984-07-03) 3 July 1984 (age 40)
Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
NationalityAzerbaijani
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2006; div. 2015)​
Children3
Parent(s)Ilham Aliyev
Mehriban Aliyeva
Websitehttp://www.leyla-aliyeva.az/en/

Leyla Aliyeva (Azerbaijani: Leyla İlham qızı Əliyeva, born 3 July 1984) is a member of the ruling Aliyev dynasty in Azerbaijan. She is the daughter of Azerbaijan's ruler Ilham Aliyev and granddaughter of former ruler Heydar Aliyev.

Aliyeva and her family have substantial wealth stashed in elaborate networks of offshore companies.[1][2] She and her sister Arzu Aliyeva own Azerfon, one of the largest mobile operators in Azerbaijan through three Panamanian offshore companies.[3] Offshore companies owned by the sisters were also awarded mining rights worth billions of dollars by the Azerbaijan government.[4][5] They also own PASHA Holding, a conglomerate that has been embroiled in high-level corruption.[6]

Early life

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According to her personal website, Aliyeva was born in Moscow on 3 July 1985.[7] From 2006 to 2008, Aliyeva pursued a master's degree at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO-MSIIR; also the alma mater of her father).

Career

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She is a member of the ruling Aliyev family in Azerbaijan. She has been embroiled in scandals involving the family's wealth, as she and her family members has wealth stashed in elaborate networks of offshore companies.[1] The documents showed that Leyla and her sister Arzu controlled two previously hidden British Virgin Islands-incorporated firms — Kingsview Developments Limited and Exaltation Limited.[1][2] Documents have also shown her to be the owner of offshore companies LaBelleza Holdings Limited and Harvard Management Limited.[8]

In 2005, Ilham Aliyev's regime granted license for a new mobile operator, Azerfon, to enter the Azerbaijani market. In 2011, investigative reporting revealed that Leyla Aliyeva and her sister Arzu owned 72% of the operator through three Panamanian offshore companies.[3]

In 2006, Ilham Aliyev awarded mining rights for six gold fields worth billions of dollars to a four-company consortium owned by his daughters through offshore companies. The contract did not follow normal bidding procedures, the identity of the consortium owners was unknown, and the consortium had no history of mining. Over the course of several years, the consortium failed to make profits, as the secretive ownership structure inhibited the companies' ability to sell on the world market. The consortium unsuccessfully sought to sell itself to a private buyer. In 2016, their father Ilham Aliyev ordered the state-owned company Azergold (formed in 2015) to purchase the four-company consortium. As part of the secret deal, the daughter would receive 70% of all future mining profits while the state would just receive the remaining 30%.[4][5]

Aliyeva is Vice-President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation,[9] a charity run by the Aliyev ruling family in Azerbaijan.[10][11] Leyla and her sister own a number of banks in Azerbaijan. She is editor-in-chief of the style magazine Baku, launched in 2011.[12]

Leyla Aliyeva with her parents

Aliyeva has been involved in efforts to promote Azerbaijan in Russia.[13][14][15] The Azerbaijan government has given her multiple awards.[16][17] She has also been given multiple awards by Russian institutions.[18][19][20][21]

She was the executive producer of the 2016 film Ali and Nino, based on the novel of the same name by an Azerbaijani writer.[22]

Personal life

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From 2006 to 2015, Aliyeva was married to Emin Agalarov, the son of Russian billionaire Aras Agalarov.[23][24] Aliyeva is the mother of three children: Ali, Mikail and Amina.[25]

In 2010, The Washington Post reported that Leyla along with her sister Arzu and brother Heydar own real estate in Dubai that is worth about $75 million.[26] In 2006, she obtained a property in Mayendorf Gardens, a gated community in Moscow.[27]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "How Family that Runs Azerbaijan Built an Empire of Hidden Wealth - ICIJ". 4 April 2016. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  2. ^ a b "UK law firm accused of failings over Azerbaijan leader's daughters' offshore assets". the Guardian. 2018-05-16. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  3. ^ a b Ismayilova, Khadija (2014-07-15). "TeliaSonera's Behind-The-Scenes Connection To Azerbaijani President's Daughters". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
  4. ^ a b "People of Azerbaijan Bail out Failed Aliyev Mining Empire - The Panama Papers". OCCRP.
  5. ^ a b "Aliyevs' Secret Mining Empire - The Panama Papers". OCCRP.
  6. ^ Altstadt, Audrey L. (2017). Frustrated Democracy in Post-Soviet Azerbaijan. Columbia University Press. p. 126. doi:10.7312/alts70456. ISBN 978-0-231-70456-4.
  7. ^ "Leyla Əliyevanın şəxsi veb-saytı". Leyla-aliyeva.az. Retrieved 2018-08-03.
  8. ^ Candea, Stefan (4 April 2013). "Offshore Companies Link Corporate Mogul, Azerbaijan's President". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. Retrieved 2021-07-11.
  9. ^ "News". Archived from the original on 2012-08-03. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  10. ^ "Azerbaijan cultural center opens in Moscow (PHOTO) - Trend.Az". En.trend.az. 2011-10-19. Archived from the original on 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2014-03-24.
  11. ^ "Xalq Qəzeti". Xalqqazeti.com. Archived from the original on 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2014-03-24.
  12. ^ Luft, Oliver (2011-06-29). "Condé Nast to publish international edition of Baku magazine - Media news". Media Week<. Retrieved 2014-03-24.
  13. ^ "Leila Aliyeva: Azerbaijan could become a bridge between civilizations | European Dialogue". Eurodialogue.org. 2010-06-16. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  14. ^ Rzayeva, Camilla (2008-05-08). "Leyla Aliyeva: "We must stick together and cooperate" - Diaspora - Visions of Azerbaijan Magazine". Visions.az. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  15. ^ "Visions of Azerbaijan Magazine ::: Leyla Aliyeva: "We must stick together and cooperate"". Visions of Azerbaijan Magazine. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  16. ^ "Azərbaycan Prezidentinin Rəsmi internet səhifəsi - SƏNƏDLƏR » Sərəncamlar Azərbaycan diasporunun inkişafındakı xidmətlərinə görə bir qrup şəxsin təltif edilməsi haqqında Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezidentinin Sərəncamı". President.az. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  17. ^ "Heydar Aliyev Foundation VP Leyla Aliyeva awarded the medal "For Merits Before the Astrakhan Oblast" - UPDATE - PHOTOS". www.today.az. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  18. ^ "Leyla Aliyeva awarded with high order of Russian Orthodox Church". Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  19. ^ "Leyla Aliyeva receives diploma of Honorary Professor of Moscow State University (PHOTO)". Trend.Az. 2016-05-20. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  20. ^ "President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin presents the "Pushkin" Medal to Leyla Aliyeva". Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  21. ^ "Vice President of Foundation". Retrieved 17 July 2017.
  22. ^ "Ali and Nino film to premier at Sundance". Retrieved 12 July 2017.
  23. ^ "BBCAzeri.com | Ön səhifə | "Washington Post" : "Dubay malikanələri danışa bilsəydilər"..." www.bbc.com (in Azerbaijani). Retrieved 2017-04-14.
  24. ^ "Дочь президента Азербайджана сообщила о своем разводе через Instagram" (in Russian). RIA Novosti. 30 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  25. ^ "Leyla Aliyeva adopts girl from orphanage". Vestnik Kavkaza. Retrieved 2016-04-09.
  26. ^ Higgins, Andrew (March 5, 2010). "Pricey real estate deals in Dubai raise questions about Azerbaijan's president". Washington Post. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  27. ^ "Azerbaijan: First Family's Russian Dacha - Corruptistan". OCCRP. 2015.
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