The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Azerbaijani Ambassador to Moscow, Rahman Mustafaev, on Monday in response to what it described as “unfriendly actions” by Baku and the “illegal detention” of Russian journalists working at the Sputnik Azerbaijan office.
Russian news agencies reported that the summoning of the ambassador followed a security operation conducted by Azerbaijani authorities at the Sputnik office in Baku, which resulted in the detention of the office manager and one employee. Baku had issued a decision to close the office last February, but it continued its operations, prompting security forces to intervene.
Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, expressed Moscow’s concern over the lack of communication with the detained journalists, noting that Azerbaijani authorities are preventing Russian consular representatives from meeting them and are not providing any official explanations for the arrests.
The Russian Human Rights Council condemned the Azerbaijani actions, considering them a violation of international agreements concerning the protection of journalists, and called for the immediate release of those detained.
This tension arises amid escalating disputes between the two countries, following the Russian Investigative Committee’s announcement regarding the dismantling of a criminal gang in Yekaterinburg that included individuals of Azerbaijani descent involved in murder and assassination attempts. This has sparked outrage in Baku, prompting an official protest accusing Moscow of using violence against its citizens, and declaring the death of two and injuries to others.
In response, the Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture announced the cancellation of all cultural events linked to Russia, along with the halting of official delegations between the two sides, including a visit by a Russian government delegation to Baku and a trip by an Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation to Moscow.
Last Saturday, Zakharova confirmed that the Russian chargé d’affaires in Baku had provided clarifications to the Azerbaijani authorities regarding the arrests, stating that criminal investigations are still ongoing and results will be published later through the Russian Investigative Committee.
For his part, Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, expressed Moscow’s regret over Baku’s recent decisions on Monday, reaffirming Russia’s commitment to developing good relations with Azerbaijan. He added that the events in Yekaterinburg fall within the realm of law enforcement activities and should not be a reason for deteriorating relations between the two nations.
