Russian citizens residing in Azerbaijan have reported violent nighttime police raids and interrogations, amid rising diplomatic tensions between Moscow and Baku, according to Kovcheg, a nonprofit organization supporting anti-war Russian expatriates.
The tensions escalated following the deaths of two Azerbaijani brothers, Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, during mass arrests in Yekaterinburg, Russia, last Friday. Their deaths have triggered a wave of arrests, crackdowns, and mutual accusations between the two nations.
“Our subscribers reported that police came to their homes at night, interrogated them about their visa status, and used non-lethal weapons,” Kovcheg wrote on its Telegram channel on Wednesday.
The group claimed law enforcement officers were targeting Russian emigres, compiling lists and using physical force in some cases.
Russia Acknowledges Complaints
The Russian Embassy in Baku confirmed it had received “many complaints” from Russian citizens within a 24-hour period, including allegations that they and their families were physically assaulted during document checks.
The crackdown has led to the arrest of at least 10 Russian nationals in Azerbaijan. Among those detained are the editor-in-chief and deputy editor of Sputnik Azerbaijan, a local arm of Russia’s state-owned media network. The outlet’s parent company, Rossiya Segodnya, announced on Thursday that Sputnik Azerbaijan is shutting down.
Accusations and Diplomatic Fallout
Eight of the arrested Russians have been accused of involvement in organized cybercrime and drug trafficking, and court footage showed several detainees with visible signs of injury.
The Kremlin, reacting to footage of the arrests, said on Wednesday it had “noticed all the details” and pledged to protect Russian citizens by all available diplomatic means.
Russian media has identified some of the detainees as IT professionals and businesspeople, although Azerbaijani authorities have not confirmed their backgrounds. Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Baku accused Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry of denying consular access to the detained individuals.
In a retaliatory move, Azerbaijani prosecutors launched a criminal investigation into the deaths of the Safarov brothers, accusing Russian police of torture. On the other side, Russian investigators have charged six ethnic Azerbaijani men with murder related to the Yekaterinburg raids, placing them in pre-trial detention.
The unfolding dispute between Russia and Azerbaijan has taken on an increasingly hostile tone, with mutual allegations of abuse, legal violations, and politically motivated actions. The situation remains volatile, with concerns growing for the safety of Russian nationals residing in Azerbaijan.
