Russian court orders pre-trial detention for son of Azerbaijani diaspora leader

The Leninsky District Court in Yekaterinburg, Russia, has ordered the pre-trial detention of the son of the head of the Azerbaijani diaspora, Mutvali Shikhlinski, for a period of two months, until September 14, 2025. 

The charges fall under Part 1 of Article 318 of the Russian Criminal Code, which pertains to the use of violence against a representative of the authorities, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

Shikhlinski is alleged to have struck a special forces officer with a Mercedes-Benz G-Class vehicle during an attempted arrest. 

The court’s ruling has not yet entered into legal force and remains subject to appeal by either party.

On July 1, Russian security forces, including the FSB and SOBR, conducted a raid near the Baku Plaza shopping centre in Yekaterinburg, targeting Shahin Shikhlinski, head of the “Azerbaijan-Ural” diaspora organisation, as part of a cold-case murder investigation from the early 2000s. During the operation, Mutvali Shikhlinski, driving a Mercedes with his father, allegedly attempted to escape in reverse, striking a Rosgvardiya officer and damaging a bystander’s Toyota Camry. Video footage showed security forces smashing the vehicle’s windows and dragging both men out.

Both Shahin and Mutvali Shikhlinski were briefly detained and interrogated on July 1, with Shahin questioned as a witness in the murder probe and both released shortly after.

By Sabina Mammadli