In July 2025, a statement allegedly made by the President of Azerbaijan was dispersed on social networks. From his words it follows that Baku will not pursue citizens of the country participating in the war in Ukraine on the APU side, but will arrest those who fought or fight for Russia. We checked the reliability of such publications.
The quote began to disperse over the network in mid -July. The statement fully attributed to Aliyev is as follows: “Azerbaijan will not arrest the citizens of Azerbaijan who fought or fight on the side of the Armed Forces, but will arrest those who fought or fight on the side of Russia, thereby supporting the occupation of the territories of the sovereign Ukrainian state.” Similar posts appeared in Instagram, Facebook, X, "VKontakte"And on other platforms.
After the start of a full -scale war between Russia and Ukraine, the official Baku adheres to neutrality. So, in April 2022, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev declared On the support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, but added that his country has “good relations with Russia”.
By estimates The Azerbaijanis of Ukraine, in 2022, about 500 ethnic Azerbaijanis - citizens of Azerbaijan, Ukraine and Russia fought on the APU side. There is no reliable data on the significant participation of Azerbaijan citizens in the war on the side of the Russian Federation, official statistics were not published on this subject. At the same time, journalists reported about casesWhen the citizens of Azerbaijan living in Russia were forced to participate in hostilities.
Relations between Azerbaijan and Russia worsened In February 2025, when the Azerbaijani Airlines plane crashed, flying from Baku to Grozny. According to preliminary data, the liner knocked out the Russian air defense system, but Moscow refused to recognize the responsibility for the crash. Relations of the two countries again Concluded At the end of June, when the security forces detained about 50 people in Yekaterinburg, mainly Russian citizens of Azerbaijani origin. According to official figures, the operation took place as part of the investigation of the murder that occurred back in 2001. As a result, the two detainees - the Safarov brothers - died, several more people received serious injuries. The forensic medical examination conducted in Azerbaijan revealed multiple damage and internal hemorrhages in the Safarovs, which caused a wave of indignation in Baku. In response to the authorities of Azerbaijan I suspended All planned cultural events with the participation of Russia and Russian artists, including exhibitions, concerts and festivals, as well as announced On the abolition of working meetings and visits of delegations as part of joint projects with Moscow.
The events were caused by the events on June 30 and July 1, when the Azerbaijani law enforcement agencies Detained Seven employees of the Russian State Agency "Sputnik". Against some of them, accusations of laundering, fraud and illegal entrepreneurship were charged, and the executive director and chief editor of the Azerbaijan authorities was called the FSB officers acting under the guise. On the same days in Azerbaijan were Arrested Another eight citizens of Russia are mainly IT specialists who moved to the country after the start of mobilization in the Russian Federation in 2022. They were accused of cyber abundance and drug trafficking. At the court hearings, many detainees visible traces of beatings.
The statement attributed to Aliyev about the intention to arrest Azerbaijani citizens fighting on the side of Russia appeared just against the backdrop of these events. Nevertheless, neither on the official siteneither on the official pages of the President of Azerbaijan in Facebook, Instagram And X “Verified” failed to find such statements. Other representatives of the official Baku did not do them either.
For the first time, this quote appeared on July 1 on the social network X on the user page with the nickname "Baku Bourila". In a few days, Twit scored more than 100,000 views and 500 reposts. The post did not say that the author of this statement was Ilham Aliyev, and a few minutes after publication the user himself RecognizedWhat Twit wrote "from himself."
Over the next few days, the quote gained popularity on Instagram, X Facebook, Telegram, but still without any attribution. Finally, on July 9, in the group "Raccoon Novorossia Z" on the VKontakte network appeared fastWhere the author of the words was named the president of Azerbaijan.
Thus, the words about the arrest of Azerbaijani citizens for participating in the war in Ukraine on the side of Russia belong to the anonymous user X, and not to Ilham Aliyev. This quote was first attributed to the President of Azerbaijan by the pro -Russian public on VKontakte against the backdrop of an exacerbation in the relations of Moscow and Baku.
Photo on the cover: President.az
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