The suspects face a wide range of charges—from cyber fraud to trafficking in illegal substances. And for anyone wanting to know what real ethnic criminal gangs look like, the best advice would be to review the criminal case materials currently under investigation in Azerbaijan. A small, tight-knit group that arrived from abroad and is engaged in criminal “business” has nothing to do with the respectable diaspora—citizens who simply live their lives, conduct legal business, work, pay taxes, and return home to drink tea with Moscow sweets and Tula gingerbread.
There is little point in reminding anyone that various “relocants,” “repatriates,” and other immigrants often bring with them criminal traditions. In the 1930s, Italian immigrants brought the Italian mafia to the United States, which became known as “Cosa Nostra.” In the Chinese districts of Southeast Asian cities, Chinese “triads” quickly emerged. And then there’s the telling example of Armenia, where ethnic Armenians resettled in the 1950s–60s, mainly from the Middle East, brought with them gold smuggling, terrorism, and kidnappings for ransom.
And now Russian “relocants” are bringing their criminal traditions to Azerbaijan: cyber fraud, trafficking in illegal substances (which in Russia is often conducted via the internet, social networks, and messaging platforms)…
Azerbaijani law enforcement had been tracking these criminal groups for a long time, as professionals would say. Their main participants—or more accurately, accomplices—have been identified and detained. Operations are ongoing, and it’s likely that further arrests will follow soon.
There are also some delicate aspects. Yes, the arrest of these organized crime group members happened just a few days after the brutal crackdown on ethnic Azerbaijanis and Azerbaijani citizens in Yekaterinburg. And while one can explain and emphasize the differences at length, the facts are clear. First, in the case of the Russian OCGs, there are specific and substantiated charges, not an attempt to revive a 24-year-old murder case and use it as a pretext to sweep up people who were toddlers at the time—and that’s not an exaggeration. Second, despite the severity of the situation, Azerbaijani law enforcement acts according to the law and doesn’t carry out beatings and torture with electric shocks, leading to the deaths of two individuals and the hospitalization of five others. And most importantly—Azerbaijan insists on upholding both domestic and international law. We do not practice vengeance, and a “tooth for a tooth, eye for an eye” policy is not our style.
But in practice, Azerbaijan has responded to the arrests of its compatriots. It responded with dignity, with precision, and in full compliance with both international and national law.
Now, let’s consider another aspect—one that the Russian security forces, who staged a public crackdown in Yekaterinburg, seem to have forgotten. Yes, the Caucasus has traditions of blood revenge. But today, real revenge looks different. It’s not mysterious figures with daggers hidden under their robes. Today, the instruments are law and accountability. Those who tortured and humiliated our compatriots must understand that they will be held accountable. And the exposure of Russian organized crime groups in Azerbaijan is a vivid example of that.
The Prosecutor General’s Office has already launched an investigation into the murder of Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg. There is such a tool as international legal cooperation and international search mechanisms. This tool has proven its effectiveness. And rest assured: it is far from the only legal instrument at Azerbaijan’s disposal.
This is the response. And if you will—it is also a form of justice in response to the torture and humiliation not only of Azerbaijanis, but of the beatings, killings, and insults suffered by Muslims, Central Asians, and even citizens from the Russian North Caucasus. This is a response to the actions of Russian OMON forces who storm into mosques, literally and figuratively, in muddy boots. This is a response to the hate campaign and wave of hostility against “non-Slavic” individuals.
And yes—this is not the end.
Nurani
Translated from minval.az
