Sabina Aliyeva sent a letter to the Russian Ombudsman regarding violence against Azerbaijanis

The Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sabina Aliyeva sent an official letter to the Commissioner for Human Rights of the Russian Federation Tatiana Moskalkova and the Commissioner for Human Rights (regional ombudsman) of the Sverdlovsk region Tatiana Merzlyakova regarding the facts of violence and torture committed against Azerbaijanis in the city of Yekaterinburg, Sverdlovsk region of the Russian Federation, as a result of which five people were brutally killed and bodily injuries of varying severity were inflicted.

The letter notes that this terrible incident is a gross violation of human rights and freedoms, especially the right to life and the right not to be subjected to torture (Articles 20 and 21 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation). This fact also contradicts the UN Convention "Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment," to which the Russian Federation has acceded.

In the letter, the Ombudsman, based on the established cooperation relations between the Ombudsman institutions of Azerbaijan and Russia and the provisions of the bilateral agreement, asks the Russian Ombudsman to take the issue under control, comprehensively, objectively and transparently investigate the incident, bring the perpetrators to justice and provide legal and psychological support to the affected families.

The appeal also emphasizes the importance of implementing systematic control and preventive measures to prevent such serious violations of rights.

The Ombudsman of Azerbaijan expressed hope that the legal and institutional steps that will be taken by the Russian side will serve as a fair legal assessment of this incident and more reliable protection of the rights of foreign citizens living in the Russian Federation.