Yekaterinburg trial begins for former Azerbaijani diaspora head, lawyer son

The trial of former leader of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Yekaterinburg and the entire Sverdlovsk region, Shahin Shikhlinski, and his son and lawyer, Mutvali Shikhlinski, has begun in Yekaterinburg.

They are accused of involvement in murders and attempted killings of compatriots as part of business influence disputes, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

According to media reports, all case materials have been transferred to the Sverdlovsk Regional Court, and hearings will be held with a jury present. On January 13, it was reported that Shahin Shykhlinski faces a 22-million-ruble ($280,000) claim for moral damages.

In June 2025, Russian law enforcement carried out an operation targeting Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg. During the operation, violence led to the deaths of two Azerbaijani natives, brothers Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, from sustained injuries. Other Safarov brothers were arrested by court order and charged with crimes dating back to 2001, 2010, and 2011.

Shahin Shikhlinski and his son Mutvali were later detained in Yekaterinburg. Mutvali faces criminal charges for violence against a government official, while Shahin is charged with attempted contract killing and violence against a government official.

Mutvali Shikhlinski was arrested on July 16, 2025, while Shahin Shikhlinski was declared wanted. He was apprehended in Moscow on August 2 and transferred to Yekaterinburg, where he was placed in custody on August 24, 2025.

By Jeyhun Aghazada