Russia trying to cover up brutal attacks on Azerbaijanis with lies Haber Global on Yekaterinburg raid / VIDEO

Turkish media and experts have condemned a recent Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) operation in Yekaterinburg as an unlawful and violent act against Azerbaijani residents, accusing Moscow of attempting to mask the incident with misleading statements.

In a segment aired by Turkish broadcaster Haber Global titled “Russia’s Outrageous Operation: Why Was an Azerbaijani Family Targeted?”, analysts criticised the FSB’s June 27 raid on Azerbaijani homes in Yekaterinburg, during which two people were killed and several others injured, Caliber.Az informs.

Experts questioned whether ethnic chauvinism is becoming state policy in Russia.

The broadcast emphasised that the FSB carried out the operation without legal grounds and subjected the detained individuals to severe torture, as evidenced by disturbing footage shown during the program.

Guests on the program pointed out that Russian law enforcement is attempting to justify the raid under the pretext of investigating a crime allegedly committed in the early 2000s. However, they noted numerous suspicious aspects of the case, raising doubts about the legitimacy of the operation.

The Azerbaijani government has strongly condemned the violence, summoning Russia’s chargé d'affaires in Baku to the Foreign Ministry to express its concerns.

Commentators also drew parallels between the Yekaterinburg incident and Russia’s muted response to the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) civilian aircraft, noting that Russian officials had issued vague and misleading statements days after the deadly crash.

Experts concluded that, much like in the case of the AZAL plane, Russian authorities are once again attempting to obscure the truth and deflect responsibility through misinformation.

To recall, on June 27, the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) conducted raids on the residences of the Azerbaijani Safarov family, resulting in the deaths of two brothers, Huseyn Safarov (an Azerbaijani citizen) and Ziyaddin Safarov (a Russian citizen), severe injuries to several others, and the detention of nine individuals, most of whom were Russian citizens of Azerbaijani origin.

The raids occurred around 5:00 AM, involving FSB officers and the Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR). The Safarov family, originally from Aghdam, Azerbaijan, and engaged in the restaurant business (owning the “Kaspi” restaurant), was targeted. The operation was described as violent, with reports of beatings, torture with electric shocks, and degrading treatment, such as forcing detainees to “eat mud” in transport vehicles. 

Two to five deaths were reported, though only the deaths of Huseyn and Ziyaddin Safarov were consistently confirmed. Nine individuals, primarily from the Safarov family, were detained, with some hospitalised due to serious injuries (e.g., Akif, Ayaz, Kamal, and Mazahir Safarovs). Over 50 Azerbaijanis were reportedly detained in total, though exact numbers vary.

By Khagan Isayev