Azerbaijan detains 7 linked to a Russian media outlet as a rift between Baku and Moscow deepens

BAKU – Seven radical linked to a Kremlin-funded media outlet successful Azerbaijan's superior person been detained aft a raid connected its office, the country's Interior Ministry said Tuesday, successful the latest motion of the rift betwixt Moscow and Baku implicit the deaths of 2 taste Azerbaijanis successful Russian custody.

Tensions person been increasing since December, erstwhile an Azerbaijani rider jet was attacked arsenic it approached Grozny, the determination superior of the Russian republic of Chechnya, It aboriginal crashed, sidesplitting 38 of 67 radical aboard, and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev blamed Moscow and said Russian President Vladimir Putin had tried to “hush up” what happened.

On Monday, masked constabulary stormed the offices of Sputnik Azerbaijan. The Interior Ministry said the Kremlin-backed media outlet had continued operating via “illegal financing,” contempt having its accreditation revoked successful February.

Detained successful the raid were Sputnik Azerbaijan’s editor-in-chief Yevgeny Belousov, and editorial committee manager Igor Kartavykh. Five others linked to the media outlet besides were detained and nether probe for alleged fraud, amerciable entrepreneurship and acquiring spot by transgression means.

2 Russians ordered held for up to 4 months successful Azerbaijan

Belousov and Kartavykh were charged with conspiracy to perpetrate fraud, which carries a maximum situation condemnation of up to 12 years. They besides were charged with conspiracy to launder funds oregon different property, and conspiracy to transportation retired an amerciable enterprise. Both were arrested and ordered held for astatine slightest 4 months successful pre-trial detention.

Sputnik’s genitor company, Rossiya Segodnya, said Tuesday it was “deeply concerned” by the raid and that Azerbaijani unit members were among those detained. Diplomats from the Russian Consulate person not been grated entree to its citizens who were detained, it said, and that Kartavykh’s flat had been searched and machine instrumentality seized.

“All these actions person nary ground and person led to the blocking of Sputnik Azerbaijan,” the connection said. “We telephone connected the Azerbaijani authorities to instantly resoluteness this unacceptable concern and merchandise our colleagues.”

The Kremlin besides called for their release.

“Such measures against members of the media are perfectly not successful enactment with mostly accepted rules and norms and, of course, bash not lucifer the tone and quality of Russian-Azerbaijani relations,” spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday.

A constabulary raid successful Yekaterinburg, Russia

The detentions followed Russian constabulary raids Friday connected the homes of taste Azerbaijanis successful Yekaterinburg, Russia, arsenic portion of an probe into a fig of killings dating backmost decades. Two brothers, Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, died portion successful constabulary custody and respective others were earnestly injured successful the raids, officials said, with 9 radical detained.

Sayfaddin Huseynli, a member of the 2 dormant Azerbaijanis, told The Associated Press the raids were “an inhumane, cruel enactment by Russia against migrants — an enactment of intimidation.”

Migrants from Muslim-majority countries that erstwhile were portion of the Soviet Union often kick of favoritism astatine the hands of Russians.

On Tuesday, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Azerbaijan said it would motorboat a transgression probe into the 2 deaths. It said Azerbaijani citizens and others of Azerbaijani descent who were “practically helpless and incapable to support themselves,” were subjected to beatings and different carnal maltreatment by Russian officials.

It attributed the deaths of 60-year-old Huseyn Safarov and 55-year-old Ziyaddin Safarov to “post-traumatic daze caused by aggregate injuries.” Huseyn had besides suffered post-hemorrhagic shock, it said.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said Monday that 1 of the deaths had been caused by bosom failure. It did not supply details connected the 2nd victim, but said a aesculapian introspection would beryllium conducted to find the origin of decease for both.

Azerbaijan protests the deaths successful custody

Azerbaijan protested the deaths by canceling a scheduled travel to Moscow by authorities officials, citing the “targeted extrajudicial killings and unit against Azerbaijanis connected the ground of their nationality” by Russian instrumentality enforcement. It besides called disconnected a sojourn to Baku by a Russian lawman premier minister, and the Culture Ministry canceled concerts, exhibitions and different events by Russian authorities and backstage institutions.

Ties betwixt Moscow and Baku person been strained since the December clang of an Azerbaijani rider jet. The level yet crashed arsenic it tried to onshore successful adjacent Kazakhstan.

Aliyev said it was attacked implicit Russia, albeit unintentionally, and rendered uncontrollable by physics warfare measures amid allegations that Russian aerial defence systems were trying to fend disconnected a Ukrainian drone onslaught adjacent Grozny. Putin apologized to Aliyev for what helium called a “tragic incident” but stopped abbreviated of acknowledging responsibility.

In May, Aliyev declined to be Russia’s Victory Day parade successful Moscow. Later that month, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha visited Azerbaijan, signaling person ties betwixt Baku and Kyiv.

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