Russian Citizenship Revoked for Azerbaijani Diaspora Leader Amid Rising Tensions

The leader of the Azerbaijani diaspora in the Moscow region announced on Friday that Russian authorities have revoked his citizenship, expressing his intention to return to Azerbaijan against the backdrop of escalating diplomatic tensions between the two nations.

A video released late Thursday by an anonymously operated Telegram channel appeared to show officials informing Elshan Ibragimov that his Russian citizenship was retroactively annulled as of June 18.

The Telegram news outlet Ostorozhno Novosti verified the authenticity of the video with Ibragimov, who chose not to provide additional comments. Reports from Azerbaijani media indicated that Ibragimov plans to share more information after his arrival in Azerbaijan in a few days.

According to unnamed sources reported by RBC, Ibragimov faces deportation due to “actions that endanger Russia’s national security.”

By Friday afternoon, Ibragimov’s profile had been removed from the website of the Moscow region’s public commission, where he held the position of chairman of the regional Azerbaijani cultural autonomy and was a member of the regional council for national cultural organizations.

Tensions between Russia and Azerbaijan reached a peak this week following extensive police operations in Russia aimed at ethnic Azerbaijanis accused of involvement in murders dating back to the early 2000s.

Amid widespread arrests in Yekaterinburg, two Azerbaijani individuals were killed, while six others were charged with murder and attempted murder and placed in pre-trial detention. A local leader of the Azerbaijani diaspora also faced violent detention, but was later released after being questioned as a witness.

In response, Baku has initiated a criminal investigation into the deaths of the two men, alleging that Russian police engaged in torture and extrajudicial killings, while Moscow has accused Azerbaijan of meddling in its domestic law enforcement.

In a move perceived as retaliation, Azerbaijani authorities reported the arrest of at least 10 Russian citizens, including two affiliated with the Kremlin-funded Sputnik news agency, while the others are alleged to be involved in cybercrime and drug trafficking.

As tensions escalated, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, called for calm on Thursday, attributing the discord to the influence of “certain external forces” intent on creating a rift in the “strategic alliance” between the two countries.