On Sunday in Yekaterinburg, arrests began of Azerbaijanis detained on Friday. The Leninsky District Court of Yekaterinburg sent Mazahir, Akif, and Ayaz Safarov, detained on Friday, under arrest until July 19, reported the press service of the Sverdlovsk region courts.
Mazahir Safarov is charged with murder committed or organized by a group of persons by prior conspiracy. According to the investigation, he «was part of an ethnic criminal group involved in a number of episodes of murders and attempted murders» committed in Yekaterinburg in 2001, 2010, 2011.
In footage from the courtroom, at least one of the detainees shows injuries resembling traces of beating. In court, Mazahir stated that the security forces severely beat him during the arrest and broke his ribs, writes the publication E1.ru. During the announcement of decisions on the measure of restraint, representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora of Yekaterinburg gathered near the courthouse.
The arrests indicate that Russia did not recognize the raids with beatings that occurred on Friday, which ended with the death of at least two natives of Azerbaijan, as a mistake.
The Azerbaijani publication APA reported that charges were also brought against Bakir Safarov and Alimkhan Ganjiev. Another person, Kemal Safarov, ended up in intensive care, and Aziz Abbasov, detained on Saturday, is also in the hospital, APA reported.
On Saturday evening, the Azerbaijani state news agency AZERTAC published a material comparing the situation in Russia to «Germany in the 1930s».
In addition, Azerbaijan refused to accept Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk. Sources from Minval reported that the visit of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, scheduled for the end of June, was canceled. «In the current situation, the Azerbaijani side does not consider it appropriate for Overchuk or other Russian officials to visit», said the publication's interlocutor.
In turn, the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan announced the cancellation of all joint events with the Russian Federation planned to be held in the republic, including concerts, festivals, performances, and exhibitions, regardless of who organized them.
A massive raid on the places of residence and work of Azerbaijanis was conducted by Yekaterinburg security forces on Friday. The publication E1 wrote that more than 50 people were detained. At least two people died, according to a statement from the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.
Photo: E1.ru