If the perpetrators of the Yekaterinburg incident are not punished, a period marking the cooling of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia may begin, Alovsat Allahverdiyev, a doctor of philosophy in law, said in his statement to Report.
According to Allahverdiyev, the large-scale operation carried out on June 27 in apartments inhabited by Azerbaijanis in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg is very serious and disturbing, and therefore should be assessed from both a legal and humanitarian perspective:
"When expressing a position on such a situation, it is necessary to present a balanced, law-based and human rights-based position. This incident raises the issue of whether the principles of proportionality and necessity of law enforcement measures against people based on their ethnicity are observed. The approach to the issue must be legally transparent and fair. An official and transparent explanation is required regarding the legal basis of the incident, the reasons for the operation, and the behavior of law enforcement agencies that led to such grave consequences."
The lawyer said that first of all, the use of force by Russian law enforcement agencies during the operation, which resulted in the loss of two lives, should be investigated in terms of the principles of use of force, such as proportionality and last necessity, within the framework of international law and human rights:
"An independent investigation should be launched immediately into the causes of the deaths, and it should be determined whether there were legal grounds for the violence. It is necessary to investigate the charges brought against the detainees within the legal framework and ensure their rights. There may be many reasons for the incident. But it is impossible to dwell on anything definitively. Such harsh steps taken by Russia against Azerbaijanis are based on multi-vector and structural reasons. Here, factors such as discrimination based on ethnic profile, internal political maneuvering, geopolitical pressure, the authoritarian nature of the law enforcement system, and the struggle for economic control are intertwined."
Allahverdiyev noted that Azerbaijan should respond to such situations with both diplomatic and legal protection, as well as international pressure and monitoring mechanisms:
“This event creates psychological tension in terms of security and law for millions of Azerbaijanis living in Russia. People may feel more threatened, and some families may even decide to return or move to other countries. This, in turn, may weaken the role played by Azerbaijanis in the Russian economy, and at the same time reduce the diaspora’s loyalty to Moscow.”
The lawyer emphasized that all this is a very serious blow to Russian-Azerbaijani relations:
"For years, Azerbaijani-Russian relations have been built on the principle of 'pragmatism and balance.' However, this incident shows that the foundation of these relations can be damaged when the security and rights of Azerbaijani citizens and compatriots are violated. If the Russian side does not explain the incident objectively and transparently and punish those responsible, a new period of cooling of relations may begin."