Russian news source in Azerbaijan raided amid diplomatic row
(MENAFN) The Azerbaijani Interior Ministry has conducted a raid on the Baku office of Russian news network Sputnik amid escalating diplomatic tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia. The crackdown follows a Russian police operation targeting suspected Azerbaijani criminal gangs.
Local media reported a heavy police presence around Sputnik’s Baku newsroom on Monday, while the network’s Moscow headquarters said it had lost contact with its journalists. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova expressed concern over the incident, noting that Azerbaijani authorities have not responded to Moscow’s requests for clarification.
The raid appears linked to Azerbaijan’s response to the recent arrests in Russia of several ethnic Azeri men accused of involvement in a gang responsible for multiple murders in Ekaterinburg dating back to 2001. The Russian Investigative Committee revealed that at least one victim was an Azerbaijani citizen.
Officials in Baku condemned the deaths of two suspects during the Russian raids, with local media suggesting the operation targeted Azeris based on ethnicity. Russian authorities reported one detainee died of a heart attack, while the cause of death for another remains unknown.
In apparent retaliation, Azerbaijan canceled several cultural events tied to Russia, a move the Kremlin regretted. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow would continue explaining the circumstances behind the events cited by Azerbaijan.
Earlier this year, Baku threatened to curtail Sputnik’s operations by accrediting only one journalist, but the outlet stated it had received no formal ban, as discussions between the two countries’ foreign ministries continued over the network’s activities.
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