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Akbar Novruz

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On June 27, a violent raid by Russian OMON units in Yekaterinburg left five Azerbaijani nationals dead and several others detained or injured. The victims, including members of the Safarov family originally from Aghdam, were reportedly targeted in coordinated raids across more than 10 apartments inhabited by Azerbaijanis. While the Russian authorities have released vague statements citing “investigations,” the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry has condemned the operation as a gross violation of human rights and demanded full accountability.

Perhaps, the killing of Azerbaijani citizens by Russian security forces in the city of Yekaterinburg on June 27 was not an isolated act of violence—it was the latest in a growing pattern of state-sponsored discrimination, intimidation, and repression targeting migrants and non-Russian ethnic groups. The deaths of five Azerbaijani nationals, including Ayaz and Mazahir Safarov, during an OMON raid—alongside the detention of several others—should set off alarm bells not only in Azerbaijan but across the broader international community.

Russia’s current domestic policy is driven by panic, coercion, and a deepening fear of internal fragmentation. Facing a disastrous war in Ukraine, declining manpower, and growing economic collapse, the Kremlin is resorting to repression at home—starting with those it deems most expendable. That includes migrants, ethnic minorities, and Muslims.

In this context, the events in Yekaterinburg were no accident. They reflect a systemic campaign to control, threaten, and ultimately sacrifice non-Russians under the guise of “security.” Migrants are regularly accused of fabricated crimes, subjected to police raids, threatened with charges, and coerced into military service. If they survive the war, they are blackmailed again—trapped in a cycle of exploitation with no escape.

And this policy doesn’t end with migrants. Citizens of Russia who are not ethnically Russian—whether they are Azerbaijani, Chechen, Tatar, or Dagestani—are facing escalating persecution. The line between ethnicity and criminal suspicion is growing dangerously thin.

The Azerbaijani community in Russia is clearly under targeted pressure. The recent cyberattacks against Azerbaijani information platforms—traced back to Russia—only reinforce the sense that a coordinated campaign is being carried out on multiple fronts. That campaign extends beyond digital attacks. When a member of the Azerbaijani Parliament is barred entry to attend an event in Astrakhan—despite an official invitation—it is not just a diplomatic slight; it is a declaration of hostility.

Russia’s traditional chauvinism, long embedded in its political system, is now turning into open Islamophobia and national segregation. The aggressive rhetoric of Kremlin-linked figures like Vladimir Solovyov—who has made repeated anti-Azerbaijani and anti-Muslim remarks—further exposes the mechanics of how this campaign is being managed. These aren’t random outbursts; they are part of a state-driven narrative to turn minorities into scapegoats for Russia’s failures.

It is telling that the Chairman of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, recently spoke proudly of involving migrants in the war effort. These “confessions,” framed as achievements, are nothing less than acknowledgments of coercion.

The silence from Russia’s own institutions following the Yekaterinburg killings is already damning. But the broader geopolitical message is even clearer: as Russia becomes more isolated on the global stage, it is searching for new internal enemies—and Azerbaijanis are increasingly in its crosshairs.\

In Russia, however, the situation is far more severe; individuals are not just beaten in temporary detention centers—they are killed outright. The social order in that country is in chaos. While there may be resources like food and economic opportunities, they are quickly becoming scarce and unsafe, like being in the jaws of a bear. It is important to stay away from this dangerous situation.

et us not forget that Russia has yet to take any action over the downing of an Azerbaijani civilian aircraft. Baku’s demand for justice remains unanswered. The failure to hold anyone accountable for this act only adds to the deepening distrust between the two countries. Azerbaijan has made it clear that it will pursue the issue at international forums and demand full compensation and accountability.

Meanwhile, Russia continues to interfere in the South Caucasus. The rise of radical and revanchist forces in Armenia—figures like Kocharyan and Sargsyan—who operate under Moscow’s umbrella, is no coincidence. It is a deliberate effort to destabilize the region and turn it once again into a geopolitical battleground.

Azerbaijan will not stand by silently while its citizens are killed, threatened, or demonized—whether at home or abroad. The country has already broken through media blockades, countered disinformation, and exposed double standards. Now, it must continue to demand justice for its fallen citizens in Yekaterinburg, hold Russia accountable for its escalating repression, and challenge the international community to prove whether it truly stands for human rights—or just for selective narratives.

Because if justice is to mean anything, it must apply to the dead in Yekaterinburg just as much as it does to anyone else.