Azerbaijan Launches Investigation into Alleged Police Torture and Murder of Brothers During Custody in Russia

On Tuesday, Azerbaijan’s Prosecutor General’s Office initiated a criminal investigation into what they termed the «cruel and intentional murder» of two Azerbaijani nationals during a police operation in Russia. This move followed autopsy findings indicating that the victims suffered severe injuries resulting in their deaths while in custody.

The deceased have been identified as brothers Ziyaddin Safarov, aged 55, and Huseyn Safarov, aged 60. They were part of a larger group of 50 individuals detained last Friday in Yekaterinburg.

According to Russian investigators, six ethnic Azerbaijani men who held Russian citizenship, including four with the surname Safarov, were taken into custody as part of ongoing murder investigations linked to incidents from the early 2000s. They reported that one individual died from a heart attack during the police raid, while the circumstances surrounding the second death are still under examination.

The bodies of the two Safarov siblings were transported to Baku on Monday and examined later that evening. Azerbaijani prosecutors revealed that the autopsy determined their deaths were caused by significant blood loss and shock resulting from extensive physical injuries, such as broken ribs and internal damage.

“A criminal inquiry has been initiated regarding the torture and brutal killing of citizens of Azerbaijan and those of Azerbaijani descent within the Russian Federation,” stated the Prosecutor General’s Office.

“The brothers were not killed by sharp objects or firearms. They suffered blunt force trauma,” Azerbaijan’s chief medical examiner, Adalat Hasanov, informed reporters.

This incident has led to a diplomatic conflict between Moscow and Baku, with Azerbaijan cancelling visits from Russian officials and suspending Russian cultural events within the nation. Furthermore, Azerbaijani law enforcement apprehended and charged at least two employees from Russian state media.

Russia’s Foreign Ministry announced it had summoned the Azerbaijani ambassador regarding what it termed the «unlawful detention of Russian journalists.»

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated on Tuesday that the Moscow authorities were “carefully monitoring” developments from Baku regarding the arrest of the Russian state media personnel, which reportedly includes two editors from Sputnik Azerbaijan.

“We hope that direct negotiations with the Azerbaijani side will enable us to achieve the journalists’ release promptly,” Peskov remarked. “Such actions against media representatives starkly contradict universally accepted norms and the foundational principles of Russian-Azerbaijani relations.”

Peskov characterized Baku’s response as “extremely emotional” and expressed optimism that discussions with Azerbaijani officials would help alleviate tensions between the two nations.

Later that same day, the Azerbaijani news agency Report, citing anonymous sources, reported that law enforcement had arrested members of two Russian «organized crime groups» alleged to be involved in cybercrimes and drug trafficking from Iran.

There was no immediate verification of these arrests from the authorities, but local media shared photos and a video purportedly showing Azerbaijani law enforcement escorting a group of Russian men into a police vehicle.

Moscow has refrained from commenting on these reported arrests.