Latest news with #ZiyaddinSafarov
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Kremlin acknowledges strain in ties with Azerbaijan, hopes they will recover
Find out what's new on ST website and app. FILE PHOTO: People followed by mourners carry the coffins of Azerbaijani brothers Huseyn and Ziyaddin Safarov, who died in Russian police custody, to a cemetery in Hacibedelli, Azerbaijan, July 1, 2025, in this still image from video. Reuters TV/via REUTERS/File Photo MOSCOW - Russia-Azerbaijan relations are going through a difficult phase but Moscow is hopeful they will recover, the Kremlin said on Monday. On Saturday, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said he wanted Russia to publicly acknowledge that it had accidentally shot down an Azerbaijani passenger plane last December, killing 38 people on board, and to punish those responsible. Tensions between Moscow and Baku have also escalated in recent weeks following the deaths of two ethnic Azerbaijani men in Russian police custody. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said relations between the two countries were based on a solid foundation and common interests. "But sometimes it happens that there are difficult periods in the relations between the two countries. This is one such period, and we hope that this period will pass," he told reporters. REUTERS
The Star
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Kremlin acknowledges strain in Russia-Azerbaijan relations
FILE PHOTO: People followed by mourners carry the coffins of Azerbaijani brothers Huseyn and Ziyaddin Safarov, who died in Russian police custody, to a cemetery in Hacibedelli, Azerbaijan, July 1, 2025, in this still image from video. Reuters TV/via REUTERS/File Photo MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia-Azerbaijan relations are currently going through a challenging phase, but Moscow remains hopeful for improvement as the two countries share common interests, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. Tensions between Moscow and Baku have escalated in recent months following the detention of several ethnic Azerbaijanis in Russia and the death of two of them in police custody. On Saturday Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, said he wanted Russia to publicly acknowledge that it had accidentally shot down an Azerbaijani passenger plane in December last year, killing 38 people on board, and to punish those responsible. President Vladimir Putin apologised at the time to Aliyev for what the Kremlin called a "tragic incident" over Russia in which an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed after Russian air defences opened fire against Ukrainian drones. But Putin stopped short of saying Russia had shot down the aircraft. (Reporting by Dmitry AntonovWriting by Maxim Rodionov;Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Kremlin acknowledges strain in Russia-Azerbaijan relations
FILE PHOTO: People followed by mourners carry the coffins of Azerbaijani brothers Huseyn and Ziyaddin Safarov, who died in Russian police custody, to a cemetery in Hacibedelli, Azerbaijan, July 1, 2025, in this still image from video. Reuters TV/via REUTERS/File Photo MOSCOW - Russia-Azerbaijan relations are currently going through a challenging phase, but Moscow remains hopeful for improvement as the two countries share common interests, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday. Tensions between Moscow and Baku have escalated in recent months following the detention of several ethnic Azerbaijanis in Russia and the death of two of them in police custody. On Saturday Ilham Aliyev, the president of Azerbaijan, said he wanted Russia to publicly acknowledge that it had accidentally shot down an Azerbaijani passenger plane in December last year, killing 38 people on board, and to punish those responsible. President Vladimir Putin apologised at the time to Aliyev for what the Kremlin called a "tragic incident" over Russia in which an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed after Russian air defences opened fire against Ukrainian drones. But Putin stopped short of saying Russia had shot down the aircraft. REUTERS
Al Jazeera
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
The South Caucasus is slipping from Russia's grasp
The recent flare-up between Russia and Azerbaijan is far more than a diplomatic spat: It marks a potential turning point in the balance of power in the South Caucasus. On June 27, Russian special forces conducted a violent raid on ethnic Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg, an industrial city in Russia's Ural region. About 50 people were detained, several were reportedly injured, and two Azerbaijani brothers – Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov – died in custody under suspicious circumstances. Autopsies revealed blunt-force trauma and broken ribs, contradicting Russian claims that the men died of heart failure. Survivors reported beatings, electrocution, and degrading treatment. Far from being seen as a routine law enforcement action, the operation has been widely interpreted in Baku as a politically motivated act of intimidation – prompting sharp condemnation from Azerbaijani officials and a wave of anger from the public. On July 1, Azerbaijan's ambassador to Russia, Rahman Mustafayev, delivered a formal protest to Moscow, denouncing what he described as the unlawful killing and mistreatment of Azerbaijani citizens, including dual nationals. This diplomatic fallout unfolded just as Baku launched its own high-profile crackdown on organised crime – one that notably included the arrest of several Russian nationals, some reportedly linked to Kremlin-funded media outlets and others accused of cyberfraud and drug trafficking. Among those detained were local staff of Sputnik Azerbaijan, the state-run Russian news agency. While the two episodes are officially unrelated, the timing suggests Azerbaijan is signalling a rejection of external coercion and asserting its sovereignty with new intensity. These developments reflect a deeper geopolitical shift. Russia's traditional levers of influence in the post-Soviet space – military alliances such as the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), energy dependency, and soft power through Russian-language media – are weakening. Strained by the war in Ukraine and international sanctions, the Kremlin has increasingly turned to diaspora policing, symbolic shows of strength, and nationalist rhetoric to maintain control. The Yekaterinburg raid appears to fit this pattern: A demonstration of power aimed at a former Soviet republic now carving out a more independent path. Azerbaijan's traditionally balanced foreign policy is now entering a more assertive phase. For years, Baku carefully navigated its relations with Russia, the West, and Turkiye. But the events of the past week have marked a clear shift: Azerbaijan is adopting a firmer stance against Kremlin pressure while deepening its strategic alignment with Ankara. This evolving alliance is not only strengthening bilateral ties but fostering broader regional integration through organisations such as the Organization of Turkic States (OTS). The implications extend well beyond Azerbaijan. Moscow's deteriorating relationship with Baku may trigger a wider realignment across Central Asia. Kazakhstan has already taken steps to distance itself from Russian influence, while Armenia, under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, has publicly questioned the reliability of Russian security guarantees. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan are simultaneously strengthening ties with Turkiye and China. In this context, Azerbaijan's defiance signals not an isolated dispute, but a broader erosion of Moscow's soft power across the former Soviet sphere. For the Kremlin, traditional diplomatic tools are proving increasingly ineffective. In Azerbaijan, public outrage over the deaths in Yekaterinburg is helping shape foreign policy in ways that go beyond formal statecraft. Moscow now faces the real prospect of Baku firmly embedding itself in the Turkish geopolitical orbit – supporting projects such as the Zangezur corridor, and reinforcing a trans-Caspian Turkic axis stretching from Anatolia to Central Asia. This vision stands in stark contrast to the Kremlin's fading Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) project, which now looks more like a symbolic construct than a meaningful alliance. Meanwhile, the media landscape has become another battleground. Russian state outlets – particularly firebrand figures like Vladimir Solovyov – have adopted openly anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric, stoking ethnic and religious tensions. These attacks blur the line between journalism and state propaganda, further inflaming bilateral tensions and undermining traditional diplomatic protocols. Yet, amid the escalating tensions, Azerbaijan faces a rare strategic opportunity. If managed wisely, Baku can leverage this moment to strengthen its leadership role within the Turkic world and reset its relationship with Russia on more equal terms. In the years ahead, Azerbaijan has the potential to emerge not just as a key energy hub, but as a central geopolitical actor in the South Caucasus and beyond. The Yekaterinburg raid is not simply a matter of domestic policing. It is a symptom of the accelerating breakdown of Moscow's grip over its 'near abroad'. What happens next – whether Russia adapts to the changing dynamics or attempts to reassert control through more coercive means – will shape the next chapter of Eurasian geopolitics. One thing is already clear: The regional balance of power is shifting, and Azerbaijan stands squarely at the centre of that transformation. The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial stance.
New York Times
02-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Russia-Azerbaijan Tensions Soar, Threatening Moscow's Influence
Tensions rose sharply between Russia and the neighboring republic of Azerbaijan over the past week after two brothers, both ethnic Azerbaijanis, died in Russian custody, exposing a diplomatic crisis that threatens to further erode Moscow's influence in the South Caucasus. The two men, Huseyn and Ziyaddin Safarov, died after Russian investigators detained them last week as part of an inquiry into a series of cold case mafia-style assassinations in the industrial city of Yekaterinburg that occurred over the past 25 years. One of the brothers died of heart failure, while the cause of death of the other one was being determined, Russian investigators said on Monday. On Wednesday, Russian investigators said they had charged six other detained Azerbaijanis, all Russian citizens, with murder. Authorities in Baku, Azerbaijan's capital, quickly denied the Russian version of events. On Tuesday, the state prosecutor's office of Azerbaijan said in a statement that the brothers had been subjected to 'torture and murder with extreme cruelty' and that it had opened an investigation into the incident. And pro-government media outlets accused Moscow of deliberately targeting ethnic minorities as part of 'chauvinist policies' used to 'suppress internal dissent and strengthen totalitarian control.' Azerbaijan's sharp reaction laid bare Moscow's shrinking sway over a country that only a few years ago was considered one of its closest partners among former Soviet states. In 2022, just two days before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Moscow and Baku signed a 'declaration on allied interaction.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
