Severe diplomatic crisis between Russia and Azerbaijan after the murder of two Azerbaijanis

Relations between Azerbaijan and Russia are experiencing a serious diplomatic crisis following the death in police custody in Russia of two Azerbaijani brothers, Huseyn and Ziyaddin Safarov.

Both were detained last week in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg, in the context of a series of raids targeting citizens of Azerbaijani origin, suspected of being involved in unsolved crimes between 2001 and 2011, including contract killings.

Azerbaijani authorities reported that the brothers died after being brutally beaten by Russian police officers. According to the office of the Azerbaijani prosecutor, a criminal investigation has been opened for the alleged murder "with particular cruelty" of the Azerbaijani citizens at the hands of Russian law enforcement forces.

The Ministry of Health of Azerbaijan revealed that both men died from "post-traumatic shock" after receiving multiple blows, and also reported that the autopsies performed in Russia removed all internal organs from the bodies, which could indicate a deliberate attempt to conceal the true causes of death.

The chief forensic doctor, Adalat Hasanov, explained that Ziyaddin's body showed all ribs broken and cranial hemorrhages, contradicting the initial Russian version that attributed his death to an alleged heart failure. Hasanov described that explanation as "a blatant falsehood."

The case has led to a rapid diplomatic escalation. Moscow, seeing its relationship with Azerbaijan at risk, summoned the Azerbaijani ambassador in protest over what it described as "unfriendly actions" by Baku.

However, Ambassador Rahman Mustafayev denounced during the meeting the use of torture and degrading treatment against the Safarov brothers, demanding a thorough investigation and justice for those responsible.

Meanwhile, Azerbaijan replied with forceful measures within its own territory, creating a new source of conflict. On Monday, Azerbaijani police raided the offices of Sputnik Azerbaijan, the local branch of the Russian state agency Rossiya Segodnya, and detained several Russian journalists, including its editor-in-chief, Yevgeny Belousov, and its director, Igor Kartavykh.

Both face charges of fraud, illegal entrepreneurship, and money laundering. The images released show the detainees being escorted by masked officers.

The Kremlin condemned these actions as "emotional" and "illegal" reactions, demanding the immediate release of its citizens. Moscow also reported that the arrests were part of a campaign of reprisals.

However, Baku authorities defended the legality of the operation, claiming that Sputnik had continued operating in the country without official accreditation since February 2025, and that its activities were illegally funded.

The situation has led to an exchange of accusations and a significant deterioration in bilateral relations, which had already been tense since an Azerbaijani passenger plane was shot down in Grozny at the end of 2024.

That incident, which forced a formal apology from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Azerbaijani leader Ilham Aliyev, left open diplomatic wounds.

Added to this is the recent detention of about 50 citizens of Azerbaijani origin in Yekaterinburg, accused by Russian authorities of being involved in old crimes. At least two died in custody, which led to a strong condemnation from the Baku government, which described Moscow's actions as "unacceptable" and of an ethnic nature.

As an additional measure, the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan canceled all Russian cultural events scheduled in the country, citing "systematic acts of violence" against its citizens by Russian security forces.