Russian State Media Raid in Azerbaijan Exposes Rising Moscow-Baku Tensions and Questionable Law Enforcement Actions

Last week’s police raids in Russia targeting ethnic Azerbaijanis have ignited a significant diplomatic flare-up, underscored by the Azerbaijani government’s seizure of Sputnik, the Russian state-funded news outlet, from its offices in Baku. The crackdown reflects a volatile situation that mainstream outlets only partially disclose. The Ministry of Internal Affairs in Azerbaijan justified the raid by accusing Sputnik of continuing operations through “illegal financing” after losing accreditation earlier this year. Yet, deeper analysis reveals an orchestrated pressure campaign aligned with rising tensions following brutal police actions in Yekaterinburg, where two ethnic Azerbaijanis died under suspicious circumstances during what Russian authorities...