Azerbaijan has canceled all cultural events involving Russian state and private institutions in response to the deaths of two Azerbaijani citizens during police raids in Yekaterinburg, Russia, officials announced on Sunday. The move escalates tensions between Baku and Moscow, with Azerbaijan demanding a thorough investigation and justice for what it calls ethnically motivated violence.
According to Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Culture, concerts, exhibitions, festivals, and performances linked to Russian entities have been suspended due to “demonstrative targeted and extrajudicial killings and acts of violence committed by Russian law enforcement agencies against Azerbaijanis on ethnic grounds in Yekaterinburg.” The ministry’s statement follows a deadly raid on June 27 by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) targeting Azerbaijani residents in the industrial city in Russia’s Ural Mountains. Two brothers, Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, both around 60 years old, were killed, with several others injured and nine detained.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian Embassy’s chargé d’affaires in Baku, Pyotr Volokovykh, on Saturday, condemning the raids and demanding a full investigation and prosecution of those responsible. The ministry described the incidents as part of a “systematic” pattern of violence against Azerbaijanis in Russia, calling for swift accountability. Sayfaddin Huseynli, the brother of the deceased, told Azerbaijani public broadcaster ITV that the men were “tortured to death without any trial or investigation, despite their innocence,” alleging that others were beaten and subjected to electric shocks.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova responded on Saturday, stating that the raids were part of an investigation into crimes committed in the early 2000s, including the murder of merchant Yunis Pashayev in 2001. Russian media reported that the operation targeted an “ethnic crime group” and detained around 50 individuals, with seven remanded in custody. Russian sources claim the Safarov brothers died due to heart complications during the arrests, a narrative disputed by Azerbaijani officials and media.
The cancellations mark a significant escalation in the strained relationship between Azerbaijan and Russia. Tensions have been simmering since an Azerbaijani airliner crashed in Kazakhstan in December 2024, killing 38 of 67 passengers. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attributed the crash to Russian electronic warfare, though he noted it was unintentional. Further straining ties, Aliyev declined an invitation to Russia’s Victory Day parade in May 2025, while Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga visited Baku, signaling closer ties with Kyiv. Azerbaijan also canceled a planned visit by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk, stating it was “inappropriate” under the current circumstances.
Sentiment on X reflects Azerbaijan’s outrage, with posts condemning the raids as “brutal” and “ethnically motivated.” Some users, however, noted discrepancies, with one post claiming five Azerbaijanis were killed, though most reports confirm two deaths. Russian sources, meanwhile, have accused Azerbaijan of protecting criminals and escalating the situation unnecessarily.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its expectation that “the matter will be investigated and all perpetrators of violence brought to justice as soon as possible.” As the diplomatic rift deepens, the cancellations and Azerbaijan’s strong rhetoric underscore a broader deterioration in Moscow-Baku relations, with implications for regional dynamics.
