BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 20. The trial has begun in Baku for Anass Derraz, vice president of the well-known French SAUR company, who was detained by the State Security Service in Azerbaijan, Trend reports.
Derraz, a French citizen of Moroccan origin, is accused of receiving large bribes and other crimes.
At the Baku Court on Grave Crimes, presided over by Judge Farid Namazov, Derraz was provided with translators for both English and French.
The accused’s personal details were then clarified. It was revealed that Derraz was born in Casablanca, Morocco, holds dual citizenship of France and Morocco, is married, and is the father of two minor children. He serves as Vice President of the international company SAUR, which is registered in Dubai.
The court then proceeded to discuss the transfer of the case for further consideration.
Derraz requested to postpone the trial.
“I ask to terminate the criminal case and return it for preliminary investigation, as I have been away from my children for eleven months and want to return to my country,” he said.
His lawyer petitioned for this request to be granted.
After deliberation, the court ruled to deny the petition and left the preventive measure — a travel ban — unchanged.
The case review was scheduled for July 3.
The State Security Service of Azerbaijan charged Derraz under articles 193-1.3.2 (legalization of property acquired by criminal means, in especially large amounts), as well as 32.5 and 311.3.3 (receiving bribes in especially large amounts) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan.
In the criminal case investigated by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan, former head of the French President’s Security Service Alexander Benalla and Derraz, vice president of the French company SAUR — whose turnover amounts to billions of dollars — are accused of receiving large bribes and other criminal acts in exchange for lifting international sanctions in 2018 against the assets of Russian billionaire of Azerbaijani origin Farhad Ahmadov.
Reports previously published in local and international media indicate that French officials demanded bribes from Farhad Ahmadov, promising in return that his luxurious yacht “Luna” would be released from international seizure and that he would be shielded from further sanctions.
According to available data, Ahmadov transferred a portion of the multimillion-dollar bribes to accounts belonging to Anass Derraz at Al Hilal Bank and to Alexandre Benalla at Bank of Africa United Kingdom PLC SC PAR.
Derraz has been held accountable in Azerbaijan and is banned from leaving the country, while an Interpol request has been filed for Benalla to be declared internationally wanted.
After a lengthy procedure, the General Secretariat of Interpol recognized the grounds for searching French citizen Benalla and in April 2025 issued an international search via a Red Notice, notifying all member countries of the organization.
The decision was based on a petition filed in 2024 related to the criminal case investigated by the SSS of Azerbaijan. Interpol’s issuance of this notice—one of the most serious legal tools available—for Benalla reflects the presence of strong and irrefutable evidence gathered by the State Security Service. The Red Notice mandates the apprehension of the individual in any country and outlines the process for extradition to the requesting country. Benalla is reportedly already involved in extradition proceedings in a third country where he's located.
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