MOSCOW, July 24. /TASS/. Moscow expects that its relations with Baku will return to normal soon, while Azerbaijan could facilitate the process by releasing Russian nationals detained in the country, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing.
"Our relations with Azerbaijan are going through a really difficult phase, to put it mildly. Russia seeks to make sure that that doesn’t last long. We expect relations to normalize soon. The release of the Russian nationals that the Azerbaijani authorities continue to hold could be a crucial step on this path," she stated.
Zakharova pointed out that Azerbaijani Ambassador to Moscow Rahman Mustafayev had been handed a note demanding an immediate release of the Russian citizens, with both journalists and tourists among those detained. "According to our information, there are no grounds for such actions by Azerbaijani law enforcement. We maintain contact with Azerbaijan on the issue, particularly through law enforcement agencies," the Russian diplomat concluded.
On detentions
On June 28, the Russian Investigative Committee in the Sverdlovsk Region reported that it had dismantled a criminal group involved in a series of murders committed in the city of Yekaterinburg in the early 2000s. Eight suspects were taken into custody. According to preliminary reports, one of them died from heart failure. The cause of death for another suspect is being determined. Their bodies were transferred from Yekaterinburg to the Azerbaijani capital, Baku; Azerbaijani authorities later stated that a forensic medical examination had revealed signs of violence and filed an official protest with Russia.
Events involving Russia were cancelled in the country; Russian journalists Igor Kartavykh and Yevgeny Belousov were detained, along with several other Russian nationals. Russia and Azerbaijan exchanged diplomatic protests, and their foreign ministries summoned each other’s envoys.