Amid rising tensions between Russia and Azerbaijan, Azerbaijani community leader in Yekaterinburg, Shahin Shikhlinski, and his son Mutvali were briefly detained by Russian police near Baku Plaza shopping mall on July 1. Footage of the harsh detention circulated widely on social media, sparking public outrage in Azerbaijan. Both were released later that evening after giving witness statements.

The detentions follow a deadly Russian security operation on June 27 targeting Azerbaijani nationals in Yekaterinburg. Two brothers, Ziyeddin and Huseyn Safarov, were killed, three others were seriously injured, and nine were detained. The Russian Interior Ministry said the raids were part of a criminal investigation and were supported by the National Guard’s SOBR unit, but did not address the reported casualties.

In response, Azerbaijan summoned Russia’s chargé d’affaires and demanded a full investigation. The Azerbaijani Ministry of Culture also canceled all Russian cultural events. Meanwhile, an investigation was launched into the Baku office of Sputnik-Azerbaijan over alleged illegal financing, leading to further detentions.