Son of former Azerbaijani diaspora leader to remain jailed in Yekaterinburg

The Sverdlovsk Regional Court has upheld a lower court’s decision to keep Mutvala Shikhlinski, the son of former Azerbaijani diaspora leader Shahin Shikhlinski, in custody following a controversial incident in Yekaterinburg earlier this year.

Shikhlinski's legal team had appealed the Verkh-Isetsky District Court’s earlier ruling, seeking his release, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

However, the regional appellate court found no legal grounds to overturn the initial decision, effectively extending Shikhlinski's detention through at least December 14, 2025.

The arrest stems from a dramatic law enforcement operation conducted on July 1 near the “Baku Plaza” complex in Yekaterinburg. During the operation, Russian special forces moved to detain Shahin Shikhlinski, who was traveling in a Mercedes-Benz G-Class vehicle with his son.

According to the investigation, as officers attempted to forcibly stop the vehicle by smashing its windows, Mutvala Shikhlinski, who was behind the wheel, reversed the car—allegedly striking and injuring a member of the special operations unit in the process. This led to charges against him and his subsequent arrest.

By Vafa Guliyeva