Azerbaijani Prosecutor General: "Our citizens were tortured to death in Russia"

Azerbaijan has submitted evidence to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation confirming that two Azerbaijani nationals were tortured and killed during police operations in Yekaterinburg.

This was disclosed by Prosecutor General of Azerbaijan Kamran Aliyev in a statement to local media while on an official visit to Ankara.

According to Aliyev, a criminal case has been opened in Azerbaijan concerning the acts of violence perpetrated against Azerbaijani citizens. He noted that the Russian Investigative Committee has launched a separate investigation into the torture and abuse inflicted upon Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg.

“We have initiated a criminal case related to the violence committed against Azerbaijanis. As is well known, we maintain continuous communication with the Russian side, including both the Investigative Committee and the Prosecutor General’s Office. The Russian authorities assert that the victims are Russian citizens. However, Azerbaijan does not recognise dual citizenship, and we consider them to be Azerbaijani nationals,” Aliyev said.

The Prosecutor General explained that Azerbaijani authorities carried out necessary forensic examinations, which confirmed the cause of death as torture, beatings, and severe physical trauma. “Unfortunately, these examinations verified that the victims died due to torture, blunt force injuries, and grievous bodily harm,” he stated.

Aliyev emphasised that Azerbaijan’s own investigation is ongoing and that all collected evidence has been transferred to the Russian authorities. “The Russian side has informed me that a separate investigation is underway by the Investigative Committee regarding these violent acts. We hope that the criminal proceedings launched on this matter will produce concrete results,” he added.

The events in question relate to a major operation conducted on June 27 by Russian law enforcement, including the Federal Security Service (FSB), the National Guard, and the Sverdlovsk Regional Police. The sweep targeted ethnic Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg and was reportedly part of an effort to dismantle an “ethnic criminal group” allegedly connected to violent crimes committed in 2001, 2010, and 2011. Approximately 50 individuals were detained.

Among those arrested were eight Azerbaijani nationals: Ayaz Safarov, Akif Safarov, Mazahir Safarov, Kamal Safarov, Bakir Safarov, Ahliman Ganjiyev, Shahin Lalayev, and Aziz Abbasov.

Tragically, two brothers—60-year-old Huseyn Safarov and 55-year-old Ziyaddin Safarov—died following the raids. Russian authorities initially claimed that one of the brothers died from heart failure, while the cause of death of the other remains under investigation.

However, post-mortem examinations carried out in Azerbaijan revealed a different conclusion: both brothers died as a result of “post-traumatic shock” caused by brutal beatings. The forensic reports indicated severe fractures and head trauma in both cases.

By Tamilla Hasanova