At a press conference in Baku, Samira Najafzade, the official representative of the General Prosecutor’s Office of Azerbaijan, emphasized that the use of torture against Azerbaijanis living in Russia constitutes a direct violation of international law. She noted that torture is explicitly prohibited by international conventions, including the European Convention on Human Rights, which Azerbaijan remains a party to—unlike Russia, which has withdrawn from the treaty. As a result, she stated, the rights of Azerbaijani citizens on Russian territory remain unprotected.
Senior Advisor to the General Prosecutor’s Office, Ilgar Safarov, echoed this sentiment, stressing that Azerbaijan does not seek to interfere in the internal affairs of any state. However, when the rights of Azerbaijani citizens abroad are violated—especially in cases involving extreme cruelty or even murder—it is the legal and moral duty of Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies to respond.
Safarov explained that such measures are provided for by the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as international agreements, including the Convention on Legal Assistance in Civil and Criminal Matters, to which both Russia and Azerbaijan are signatories.
“If those responsible are not held accountable under the international conventions and agreements to which their countries are parties, we will take all possible steps through all available channels to ensure they are brought to justice,” Safarov stated.
He added that one reason for Azerbaijan’s firm stance is the complete lack of official response from Russian law enforcement agencies.
“We are not accusing anyone yet, nor are we seeking to,” Safarov said. “But instead of receiving official forensic results regarding the deaths of the Safarov brothers, we are forced to confront a flood of unofficial narratives being spread in Russian media outlets, which is, at the very least, unprofessional.”
