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Azerbaijani Brothers Allegedly Tortured to Death During Russian Security Raid in Yekaterinburg
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Russian security forces are accused of torturing two Azerbaijani men to death during a raid in Yekaterinburg, with reports saying the victims had their genitals severed. The brothers, Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, “were abused,” an Azerbaijani public figure told The Moscow Times on August 26, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The source added that Azerbaijani authorities, who received the bodies, chose not to disclose the details “in order not to lose prestige.”
An examination conducted in Baku showed that the Safarov brothers had been tortured and that the cause of death was shock from the injuries they had sustained. “Bruises were found in the genital area, as well as a 17×2.5 cm strip-shaped abrasion on the inner surface of the thigh,” according to the conclusion of the forensic experts, quoted The Moscow Times citing Minval.
The Safarov brothers died after a mass arrest of Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg at the end of June. The Russian Investigative Committee claimed that the operations were carried out as part of an investigation into contract killings that took place many years ago.
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A certificate issued by the Russian Sverdlovsk Region Forensic Medical Examination Bureau states that the deaths were recorded on June 27. In the case of Huseyn Safarov, the cause of death was complications from broken ribs, while Ziyaddin Safarov died of ischemic heart disease, The Moscow Times writes.
The Safarovs' bodies were handed over to Azerbaijan. After that, the republic’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded that Russia conduct an investigation and bring to justice those who “committed this unacceptable violence.” A criminal case was opened in Azerbaijan under articles on murder, torture, and abuse of official authority.
Azerbaijani authorities later conducted searches at the Baku office of the Russian state news agency Sputnik. The agency’s executive director, Igor Kartavykh, and editor-in-chief, Yevgeny Belousov, were arrested for four months. They have been charged with fraud, illegal entrepreneurship, and laundering of criminally obtained income, The Moscow Times reports.
Previously, it was reported that Azerbaijani investigative reporters have uncovered the identities of several Russian military officers involved in the December 2024 shootdown of a civilian airliner near Grozny, shedding new light on a tragedy that claimed 38 lives, according to Minval Politika report.
