Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry has dismissed recent claims by the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Embassy in Baku regarding the alleged use of force against Russian nationals and their families by Azerbaijani law enforcement, calling the statements “unfounded.”
The response came from Aykhan Hajizada, spokesperson for Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement addressing the remarks made on July 2 by Russian officials.
“Azerbaijan’s official position regarding the arrest of members of certain groups, as well as Russian nationals working for the unlawfully operating branch of Sputnik Azerbaijan, has been publicly disclosed,” Hajizada said.
On Consular Access
Regarding consular access for detained Russian citizens, Hajizada emphasized that Azerbaijan responded promptly to Russia’s formal requests submitted on June 30 and July 1.
“These requests were immediately forwarded to the relevant state institutions. Information about the identities of those detained and the investigating authorities was provided to the Russian side, in accordance with Article 39, Paragraph 1 of the Consular Convention between Azerbaijan and the Russian Federation,” he noted.
Hajizada added that timelines for such requests are clearly outlined in the convention and well known to the Russian side.
A Call for De-escalation
He also pointed out that Azerbaijan has refrained from politicizing or publicizing the repeated delays by Russian authorities in granting consular access to Azerbaijani citizens held in various Russian cities.
“Given the above, we call on the Russian side to refrain from steps and statements that artificially escalate the situation,” Hajizada concluded.
