Russia-Azerbaijan Strain: Plane Crash & Custodial Deaths

Russian-Azerbaijani tensions surged after two Azerbaijani brothers died in Russian custody.

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Tensions between Russia and Azerbaijan have escalated sharply in recent weeks, sparked by a series of troubling incidents involving the detention and deaths of Azerbaijani nationals in Russia, the arrest of Russian journalists in Azerbaijan, and long-standing grievances exacerbated by an unresolved tragedy involving a civilian airliner.

These developments have not only strained bilateral relations but also stirred public outrage and diplomatic fallout on both sides.

Custodial Deaths

The immediate catalyst for the current crisis was a large-scale law enforcement operation carried out by Russian authorities on June 27 in the city of Yekaterinburg, located in the Ural region of Russia. More than 50 Azerbaijani nationals were detained as part of an investigation into a murder case dating back 24 years. This sweep was presented by Russian officials as a legitimate criminal inquiry, but the aftermath of the detentions unleashed a wave of diplomatic fury.

Tragically, two of the detained Azerbaijani brothers, Ziyaddin Safarov and Gusein Safarov, died while in police custody. Their deaths provoked an immediate and forceful response from Azerbaijan, with its Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemning the incident as a "brutal killing." Azerbaijani authorities alleged that the brothers, along with several other detainees, were subjected to violence and abuse while in custody. Postmortem examinations conducted in Baku reportedly found evidence of severe beatings, contradicting the official Russian narrative.

The Russian side, however, maintained a different version of events. They stated that one brother had died of heart failure, and that the cause of death of the other remained under investigation. Russian officials emphasized the independence of law enforcement processes and dismissed Azerbaijan's accusations as politically motivated.

Azerbaijan's Diplomatic Pushback