Rovshan Javadov

Rovshan Javadov
Rovshan Javadov at his headquarters
Born	(1951-10-19)October 19, 1951 Lachin, Azerbaijan
Died	March 17, 1995(1995-03-17) (aged 43) Baku
Nationality	Azerbaijani
Occupation	Colonel

Rovshan Javadov (Azerbaijani: Rövşən Cavadov, 19 October 1951, Lachin – March 17, 1995, Baku) was an officer in the Azerbaijani Armed Forces and the chief of the Special Purpose Police Detachment of Azerbaijan (OPON). Born in what was then part of the Soviet Union, Javadov fought in Afghanistan before beginning his political career. He took on an early role in the early years of the newly independent Azerbaijan, becoming the leader of OPON, a military police unit of a few thousand people. The creation of the organization would lead to clashes with President Heydar Aliyev. In 1995, this conflict with Aliyev would eventually culminate into an attempted coup against Aliyev, which would fail and lead to a siege of OPON headquarters. During the siege, Javadov was shot and eventually died of his wounds.

Rovshan Javadov was born on 19 October 1951 in Lachin. In 1973, he graduated from Azerbaijan State Medical University. In 1973-1976 he worked as a surgeon in the Interior Ministry Hospital of Azerbaijan SSR. In 1976, Rovshan Javadov entered the USSR Interior Ministry Military Academy in Rostov from which he graduated in 1980.

After completing his military education in 1980 he volunteered for service in Afghanistan.

In 1982 Rovshan Javadov became the Police Inspector of Ganja. In 1987, Rovshan Javadov, organized the underground Takamul ("Evolution") Party in Karabakh and Ganja with his brother Mahir Javadov.

In 1989, the Takamul Party established military units which were composed of Azerbaijanis as well as of Rovshan's karate students. In January 1990, Soviet troops took control of Azerbaijan and fighting broke out in Baku and other cities between the Popular Front of Azerbaijan activists whom Rovshan Javadov helped train and Soviet troops. The Soviets quickly took over Baku. Javadov planned to withdraw to Ganja with his supporters and proclaim Ganja a capital city and resume fighting the occupation. However, Soviet troops withdrew by mid-March.