The authorities in Baku have accused Russian law enforcement of fatally beating two detainees after a raid on an alleged ethnic Azerbaijani gang. The incident has triggered a diplomatic dispute between the two countries.
The Prosecutor General鈥檚 Office in the capital on Tuesday announced a criminal investigation into what it described as a double homicide. The agency challenged Russian statements that one detainee died of heart failure and that the second death remained under investigation. Azerbaijani officials claim their medical examinations showed both men died from severe blunt force trauma.
The accusations follow a raid by law enforcement in Yekaterinburg, the capital of Russia鈥檚 Sverdlovsk Region, targeting alleged members of an ethnic Azerbaijani criminal group believed to have operated in the city since at least 2001. Russian authorities claim the gang has been involved in extortion schemes and a series of targeted killings and attempted murders of members of the Azerbaijani diaspora in the country.
The two men who died after the raid were identified as brothers Gusein and Zieddin Safarov. Their bodies were flown to Baku on Monday and reportedly buried shortly afterward in their home village. Azerbaijani officials allege they were intentionally murdered while in Russian custody.
Russian authorities said six other suspects 鈥 all Russian citizens 鈥 remain in detention, with additional charges pending.
Azerbaijani media has framed the deaths as part of what it called a pattern of persecution of ethnic minorities by Russian authorities. Baku has taken several actions since the incident in apparent retaliation.
Last week, the Ministry of Culture canceled multiple events involving Russian performers. On Monday, the national food safety agency reported the destruction of 639 kilograms of onion rings imported from Russia, citing bacterial contamination. The Russian supplier denied the charge, saying its own lab results showed the products were safe.
Also on Monday, Azerbaijani police raided the Baku office of the Russian media outlet Sputnik, detaining two staff members and a third journalist working for another outlet. Moscow responded by summoning Azerbaijan鈥檚 ambassador for an explanation.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that Azerbaijan鈥檚 reaction was 鈥渙verly emotional鈥 and that direct dialogue would help defuse the situation and lead to the release of the Russian journalists.