Azerbaijan accuses Russian law enforcement of killing detainees
The Prosecutor General's Office in the capital on Tuesday announced a criminal investigation into what it described as a double homicide. The agency challenged Russian statements that one detainee died of heart failure and that the second death remained under investigation. Azerbaijani officials claim their medical examinations showed both men died from severe blunt force trauma.
The accusations follow a raid by law enforcement in Yekaterinburg, the capital of Russia's Sverdlovsk Region, targeting alleged members of an ethnic Azerbaijani criminal group believed to have operated in the city since at least 2001. Russian authorities claim the gang has been involved in extortion schemes and a series of targeted killings and attempted murders of members of the Azerbaijani diaspora in the country.
The two men who died after the raid were identified as brothers Gusein and Zieddin Safarov. Their bodies were flown to Baku on Monday and reportedly buried shortly afterward in their home village. Azerbaijani officials allege they were intentionally murdered while in Russian custody.
Russian authorities said six other suspects – all Russian citizens – remain in detention, with additional charges pending.
Azerbaijani media has framed the deaths as part of what it called a pattern of persecution of ethnic minorities by Russian authorities. Baku has taken several actions since the incident in apparent retaliation.
Last week, the Ministry of Culture canceled multiple events involving Russian performers. On Monday, the national food safety agency reported the destruction of 639 kilograms of onion rings imported from Russia, citing bacterial contamination. The Russian supplier denied the charge, saying its own lab results showed the products were safe.
Also on Monday, Azerbaijani police raided the Baku office of the Russian media outlet Sputnik, detaining three staff members. Moscow responded by summoning Azerbaijan's ambassador for an explanation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Azerbaijan's reaction was 'overly emotional' and that direct dialogue would help defuse the situation, leading to the release of the Sputnik journalists.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
3 hours ago
- Russia Today
Russia's former deputy defense minister gets 13 years in $50mn corruption case
Russia's former deputy defense minister, Timur Ivanov, has been sentenced to 13 years in a penal colony after being found guilty of embezzling state funds, the Moscow City Court announced on Tuesday. The 49-year-old, arrested in April 2024, previously held senior roles in Russia's energy and construction sectors. Before his appointment as deputy defense minister in 2016, Ivanov led the state contractor Oboronstroy and worked at several major firms. In his government role, he oversaw large-scale military construction projects. The court found Ivanov and his former subordinate Anton Filatov guilty of embezzling 216.6 million rubles ($2.8 million) during the 2015 purchase of two ferries, carried out by Oboronstroy on behalf of the Defense Ministry for the Kerch Strait crossing. The pair was also convicted of stealing and laundering 3.9 billion rubles ($50 million) that had belonged to the now-bankrupt Interkommerz Bank. Both men have denied any wrongdoing. In his final statement, Ivanov insisted that the ferry deal was lawful and had even earned him a state award. He argued that even if there were grounds for prosecution, they bore no relation to the current charges. Filatov was sentenced to 12 and a half years in a penal colony and fined $318,000 – he claimed the case had been based on investigative errors and 'speculative' conclusions. Ivanov, who also faces two separate bribery charges, was fined $1.2 million and stripped of state honors, including the title of Merited Builder of Russia. The court also approved the seizure of more than $32 million worth of his assets, including real estate, vehicles, and bank holdings. According to RBK, the defense intends to appeal the verdict, citing procedural violations and a lack of direct evidence. Ivanov was among a number of top military officials arrested following a major reshuffle at the Defense Ministry last year.
Russia Today
4 hours ago
- Russia Today
Russia hands over new stealth frigate to Indian Navy
Russia has delivered a new Krivak-class stealth frigate to the Indian Navy, as the countries continue to deepen their defense ties. The Indian Navy commissioned the multi-role frigate, named Tamal, in the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad on Tuesday. The Tamal is the eighth Krivak-class frigate to be delivered to India over the past two decades, and its name symbolizes a sword used by Hindu gods in combat. The construction of the vessel took place at the Yantar shipyard and was monitored by Indian specialists from the Warship Overseeing Team that was stationed in Kaliningrad, according to New Delhi's Defense Ministry. The frigate has 26% Indian components. 'Major Indian OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) involved in the frigate were BrahMos Aerospace Private Ltd, BEL, Keltron, Nova Integrated Systems from Tata, Elcome Marine, Johnson Controls India and many more,' the Indian Navy said in a statement. The Tamal's features include vertically launched missiles, an improved 100mm gun, and electronic warfare capabilities. With a crew of over 250 personnel, it has completed sea trials and training in challenging Russian conditions, including a top speed over 30 knots, according to defense officials. The frigate is also equipped with the BrahMos supersonic missile system, a Surface Surveillance Radar complex, and HUMSA NG Mk II sonar. New Delhi and Moscow have long-standing defense ties. Last week, Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said in a meeting with his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh, that the two countries' friendship extends into the military-technical sector. In December 2024, India received a Russian-built Project 11356 stealth frigate, INS Tushil. The 3,900-tonne ship, with a length of 125 meters, is armed with a range of advanced weapons, including supersonic cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles with enhanced ranges. India is also building two similar frigates, which are part of the Triput class, at Goa shipyard with transfer of technology and design assistance from Russia.
Russia Today
5 hours ago
- Russia Today
‘Catastrophic' budget increase will destroy NATO
The results of NATO countries hiking military budgets will be 'catastrophic' and lead to the bloc's collapse, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday. His remarks mirrored Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski's earlier suggestion that a boost in Moscow's defense spending could trigger the fall of the government. At NATO's most recent summit last month in the Hague, member states committed to spending 5% of GDP on the military – a significant rise from the previous 2% target. Poland backed the hike, arguing that failing to achieve the new benchmark 'as soon as possible' would pose a ''threat'' to the bloc considering the ongoing Ukraine conflict. In an interview with Polish media, Sikorski drew a parallel between modern Russia and the late USSR. Referring to President Vladimir Putin, he stated that 'he himself once said that the Soviet Union fell because it spent too much on armament, and now he is doing exactly the same thing.' Meanwhile, speaking to the press at the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) Foreign Ministers Council in Kyrgyzstan, Sergey Lavrov took issue with Sikorski's characterization, countering: 'Perhaps he foresees – being such a prophet – that this catastrophic, in my view, increase in NATO countries' budgets will also lead to the organization's collapse.' Lavrov also said that Russia 'plans to reduce its military spending,' which now accounts for 6.3% of GDP, and 'be guided by common sense, but not made-up threats like NATO member states, including Sikorsky.' The 5% GDP target faced opposition from some NATO members. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said his country could not allocate one-fifth of its state budget to defense, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called the goal 'not only unreasonable but also counterproductive.'
