Azerbaijan Publicly Humiliates and Detains Russian Citizens

Russian nationals have been arrested in Baku, accused of belonging to two alleged criminal groups involved in drug trafficking from Iran, online distribution of banned substances, and cybercrime.

Azerbaijani police filmed the detainees — a group of visibly beaten young men, forced to march in single file with blood on their clothes and bruises on their faces — in a clear display of intimidation.

These public crackdowns on Russians in Azerbaijan follow the recent high-profile arrest in Yekaterinburg of an Azerbaijani gang that had been carrying out murders — including of fellow Azerbaijanis — for years.

Adding more info then this video description, then Maria Z:

Russian citizens detained in Baku:

Head of the publication "Sputnik Azerbaijan" Igor Kartavykh and former head of the telegram channel "Sputnik Near Abroad" Yevgeny Belousov.

The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Azerbaijani ambassador in connection with Baku's unfriendly actions and the illegal detention of Russian journalists.

A Baku court has arrested Sputnik-Azerbaijan chief Igor Kartavykh and editor-in-chief Yevgeny Belousov for four months.

And: ❗️Zelensky held a conversation with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev

"I thanked him for his support of Ukraine, and also expressed support from Ukraine in the situation when Russia threatens Azerbaijan," Zelensky said.

More Russian detained: Description of this video, by Rybar:

Baku Hostages📝

On new arrests of Russians in Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan continues to replenish the potential exchange fund by capturing hostages. Today, 7 more Russian citizens were detained in Baku. Previously, employees of Sputnik and a journalist from the Ruptly video agency had already been detained.

🖍According to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Internal Affairs, the detainees are representatives of two organized crime groups engaged in online fraud and drug transit from Iran, but no evidence has been provided. The published footage shows that the Russians have signs of beatings, and the security forces treat them with demonstrative cruelty. Moreover, among the detainees are hardly representatives of organized crime groups, but rather relocators running businesses abroad.

🚩The ongoing demonstrative campaign to take our compatriots hostage is nothing more than a continuing provocation demonstrating Azerbaijan's true attitude towards Russia.

And the possible presence of tourists among the detainees will make many wonder whether it is worth going to a state with not the most friendly policy, which is also prone to violations of the rights of Russians?

❗️Today, the protection of criminals is a priority for the Azerbaijani authorities, and they are ready to resort to the capture of civilians and other gangster methods to save their criminals from deserved punishments.

📌The escalation of the situation by Baku is the best moment to start a tough debriefing with the entrenched Azerbaijani organized crime groups within Russia, due to whose criminal actions the current crisis is unfolding.

#Azerbaijan #Russia

⭐️ @rybar

Adding more from yesterday from Maria Z about Sputnik employees

🚨 Russian embassy contacted Azerbaijani MFA & State Security Service but received NO response regarding situation with Sputnik office in Baku - 🇷🇺MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova 

There is concern that for more than two hours, Russian diplomats in Baku have been unable to contact the journalists.

The staff of the Russian embassy’s consular section are not being allowed access to the Russian journalists, and no information is being provided about the reasons for such actions.

❗️Sputnik's editorial team has stated that they have not received any official bans on their work in Azerbaijan, and throughout this time, there has been a constructive dialogue between the working groups of the foreign ministries of both countries regarding the resolution of potential disagreements.