Azerbaijan condemns Russia's "systematic atrocities" against Azerbaijanis in Russia

Russia-Azerbaijan relations are becoming increasingly tense. In the escalating dispute, Azerbaijan's Aliyev called Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on Tuesday, which angered the Kremlin, which accused Kyiv of fueling the conflict. Azerbaijan is rich in natural gas, and the EU, Turkey, and China have begun to compete for influence in Azerbaijan. AFP said that the diplomatic stalemate between Azerbaijan and Russia has escalated, highlighting Moscow's declining dominance in the Caucasus region.

On June 27, Russian police conducted a raid targeting Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg, resulting in two deaths and six arrests. The Russian authorities stated that this raid was related to a criminal case from years ago, further deteriorating bilateral relations.

Baku accuses Russian police of using "torture" and deliberately killing their people. However, Moscow claims that one man suffered a heart attack during the raid, and the cause of the second man's death is under investigation.

This incident sparked an outburst of public anger in Azerbaijan, with media and officials condemning Russia's "systematic atrocities" against Azerbaijanis in Russia.

In another case, pro-Baku media aired photos of Russians being beaten, with swollen faces and bloodstains, who were detained on drug trafficking charges.

On July 1, Azerbaijani police raided the office of the Russian state news agency "Sputnik" in Baku, detaining three Russian journalists and playing related videos on state-controlled television.

Subsequently, Igor Kartavikh, head of Sputnik's office in Baku, and editor-in-chief Yevgeny Belousov were detained by Azerbaijan on charges of fraud and money laundering, with a detention period of four months.

Russian officials condemned these detentions as "illegal" and politically motivated. Russia criticized Azerbaijan's "highly emotional reaction," accusing it of "deliberately undermining bilateral relations" and "intensifying hostilities."

Baku canceled all Russian cultural activities, citing alleged "systematic violence" by Russia against Azerbaijani citizens.

Azerbaijan State Television broadcast a program condemning Russia's political oppression and comparing Putin to Soviet dictator Stalin. Azerbaijan had formally banned the operation of Russian "Sputnik" in February.

Russia-Azerbaijan relations began to deteriorate in December 2024, when an Azerbaijan Airlines passenger plane crashed near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing 38 of the 67 people on board.

The plane was reportedly en route to the Russian southern city of Grozny when it was struck by Russia's air defense system. At that time, the Russian air defense system was busy intercepting Ukrainian drone attacks,

Azerbaijan's President Aliyev demanded that those responsible for the "criminal" downing of the plane apologize, admit guilt, and be punished.

However, Putin only apologized for the fact that the "incident" occurred in Russian airspace. He acknowledged that Russian air defense forces were operating in the area at the time of the crash but did not admit that Russia had mistakenly shot down the plane.

AFP said that this dispute with Azerbaijan highlights Russia's weakening control over the region, which it once ruled for decades. Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine has unsettled its former Soviet allies in the Caucasus and Central Asia.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1836584116155587/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.