Seven detained, criminal case launched against Sputnik Azerbaijan over illegal financing
Akbar Novruz
Read moreAzerbaijan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) has detained seven individuals following an operation at the Baku office of the Rossiya Segodnya Information Agency, also known as “Sputnik Azerbaijan”, Azernews reports.
According to the MIA press service, the criminal case was initiated on charges of fraud, illegal entrepreneurship, and the legalization of property obtained through criminal means. As a result, two individuals were arrested, and five others have been formally charged and brought to criminal responsibility.
The ministry stated that investigative measures into the case are ongoing.
Authorities launched the operation after receiving operational intelligence that Sputnik Azerbaijan was continuing its activities through illegal financing mechanisms, despite its accreditation being officially suspended in February 2025. The suspension was part of a move to enforce media parity between Azerbaijani and foreign state media operating in each other's countries.
The agency’s continued operation in defiance of the suspension triggered the current legal action.
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