Ex-head of Azerbaijani diaspora in Yekaterinburg convicted, sentencing pending

A jury in Yekaterinburg has returned a guilty verdict against the former leader of the Azerbaijani diaspora, Shahin Shikhlinski.

Jurors concluded that Shikhlinski was involved in the attempted murder of Fekhruz Shirinov in 2010 and determined that he does not merit leniency, according to E1.

The Safarov brothers, who were detained in connection with the same case, were likewise found guilty on all counts. The presiding judge is expected to issue the sentence shortly on the basis of the jury’s decision.

It is worth recalling that in June 2025, Russian law enforcement agencies conducted an operation targeting Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg. Force was used during the operation, and two natives of Azerbaijan — brothers Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov — died from the injuries they sustained. Other Safarov brothers were arrested by court order and charged with crimes allegedly committed in 2001, 2010 and 2011.

Subsequently, Shahin Shikhlinski, head of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Yekaterinburg, and his son Mutvali Shikhlinski were detained. A criminal case was initiated against Mutvali Shikhlinski under an article concerning the use of violence against a representative of the authorities. Shahin Shikhlinski was charged with attempted contract killing and with using violence against a representative of the authorities.

As part of this criminal case, M. Shikhlinski was detained on July 16, 2025, and the court ordered his pre-trial detention. Shahin Shikhlinski was placed on a wanted list. He was apprehended in Moscow on August 2 and subsequently transferred to Yekaterinburg. On August 24, 2025, the court ruled to place him in custody pending trial.

By Tamilla Hasanova