Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has, for the first time, commented on the raids carried out by Russian security forces in Yekaterinburg, which resulted in the deaths of brothers Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov.
According to Aliyev, the deterioration of relations with Moscow began with the downing of an Azerbaijan Airlines civilian aircraft — an incident for which he had previously blamed Russia. He noted that at the time, Azerbaijan was “angry, outraged, and deeply disappointed,” and the public expected a fair and transparent investigation. Instead, he said, “unjustified attacks against Azerbaijanis in Russia began.”
“Two people were tortured and killed. Yet, according to official reports, they died of heart attacks,” he said. Aliyev expressed outrage over the treatment of both Azerbaijani citizens and ethnic Azerbaijanis living in Russia, describing the incident as “an unprecedented action against the Azerbaijani people.”
“We are not responsible for the deterioration in relations. Our response has been constructive and lawful, but we will never tolerate any sign or expression of aggression or disrespect toward us,” the Azerbaijani leader emphasized.
In June 2025, Russian security forces carried out a raid in Yekaterinburg, detaining dozens of ethnic Azerbaijanis suspected of involvement in murders committed between 2001 and 2011. During the raid, the Safarov brothers died while in custody. In July, media outlets reported that Azerbaijan had submitted evidence to the Russian Federation alleging the “torture and killing” of Azerbaijani nationals.
