Yekaterinburg, August 25, 2025. — Shahin Shikhlinsky, head of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia’s Sverdlovsk region, has asked to be moved out of solitary confinement in Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1, citing deteriorating health.
The request was reported by Vladimir Popov, secretary of the regional Public Monitoring Commission (ONK), who visited Shikhlinsky in detention. According to Popov, the Azerbaijani community leader is being held in a small solitary cell and struggles with health issues that could require emergency medical attention.
“He is elderly, in poor health, and believes he has done nothing illegal but became a victim of circumstances. Given his condition, it would be better if he had a cellmate who could raise the alarm and call for medical help if necessary,” Popov explained.
Stay Ahead with Azerbaijan.usGet exclusive translations, top stories, and analysis — straight to your inbox.
The ONK has already informed Sverdlovsk Ombudswoman Tatyana Merzlyakova and plans to raise the issue with the Federal Penitentiary Service (GUFSIN).
Shikhlinsky was detained on July 1 in Yekaterinburg after a police raid targeting members of the Azerbaijani community. He and his son Mutvali were forcibly removed from a car by special forces. Mutvali, accused of hitting an officer with the vehicle during the incident, now faces charges under Article 318 of Russia’s Criminal Code (“Use of violence against a representative of authority”).
Shahин Shikhlinsky himself is charged with “attempted murder and violence against a special forces officer,” accusations he strongly denies. He was formally arrested on August 2 after a Moscow court had earlier issued a warrant in absentia.
