Azerbaijan to receive remains of citizens killed in Russia’s Yekaterinburg soon

The bodies of the Azerbaijanis who were killed during a Federal Security Service raid in Russia's Yekaterinburg will be repatriated to Azerbaijan on June 30. 

Efforts are currently underway to hand over the bodies to their families, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

On June 27, the Russian Federal Security Service conducted a raid in Yekaterinburg reportedly related to a murder case from 2001. During the operation, up to 50 Azerbaijanis were detained, most of whom were later released. However, two Azerbaijanis were brutally killed in their houses during the raid, several others sustained serious injuries, and nine more were detained.

In response to the incident, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Chargé d’Affaires of the Russian Embassy in Baku and lodged a strong protest. Azerbaijan expects the Russian authorities to thoroughly investigate the incident and promptly bring all perpetrators of violence to justice. 

The Federal Security Service's operation targeted the residences of the Safarov family, Russian citizens of Azerbaijani origin from the Aghdam district, living in various areas of Yekaterinburg. The operation began around 5:00 a.m. (GMT+3) on June 27. During the raid, brothers Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov were killed. Eight other family members sustained injuries of varying severity due to beatings inflicted during the operation.

Four individuals — Akif, Ayaz, Kamal, and Mazahir Safarov — were hospitalised in serious condition. In total, nine people were detained by law enforcement during the raid. According to Azerbaijani community members in Yekaterinburg, the operation was reportedly linked to a murder case that took place in 2001 in a café formerly owned by the Safarov family.

By Naila Huseynova