Russian reporter arrested in Azerbaijan
(MENAFN) Authorities in Baku have detained two senior editors from the Russian news agency Sputnik following a raid on the outlet’s office on Monday. This action comes amid growing tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia, triggered by a recent Russian police crackdown on suspected Azerbaijani organized crime groups.
Sputnik confirmed that Igor Kartavykh, head of the editorial office, and Editor-in-Chief Evgeny Belousov were taken into custody during the search. Local media reports claim the journalists are accused of acting as agents for Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), allegations Sputnik has dismissed as “absurd.”
The Azerbaijani Interior Ministry acknowledged the raid and said further information would be provided. The ministry noted that Sputnik’s accreditation had been suspended in February 2025, but they received intelligence indicating the agency continued operating with illegal funding, resulting in detentions.
Earlier in February, Baku had effectively shut down Sputnik’s office by accrediting only one journalist, though Sputnik said no formal ban had been received and discussions between the two countries’ foreign ministries were ongoing regarding the agency’s operations.
The Russian Foreign Ministry responded by summoning the Azerbaijani ambassador to protest the detentions.
Additionally, Aytekin Guseynova, a Ruptly journalist and editor, was also detained while filming outside Sputnik’s Azerbaijan office. Her arrest was confirmed by the video agency and her family after she lost contact shortly before ending her recording session.
The arrests come amid escalating diplomatic tensions linked to a police raid in Yekaterinburg, Russia, targeting an organized crime group allegedly composed of Russian nationals of Azerbaijani descent. The group is suspected of involvement in multiple cold case murders tied to business disputes from the early 2000s.
Six suspects are currently held in pre-trial detention, while two others reportedly died of heart failure during the raid. The operation sparked outrage among Azerbaijani politicians and public figures, who accused Russia of ethnic targeting and called for retaliatory measures.
Meanwhile, Russia’s Investigative Committee has taken over the case and is continuing to investigate the suspected criminal network.
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