Five of the Safarov brothers, who are prominent members of Russia’s Azerbaijani diaspora, have been sentenced between 10–21 years in prison for a decades-old murder. Shahin Shikhlinski, the head of the diaspora in Yekaterinburg, was also sentenced over the same case. Two other Safarov brothers were killed in June 2025 in Russian police detention.
The sentences appear to cap off a criminal case that had threatened to blow up already tense relations between Azerbaijan and Russia.
A seventh individual, Shujayaddin Rajabov, was also sentenced in the case. The seven ethnic Azerbaijanis were sentenced on Thursday for the murder of businessperson Yunis Pashayev in 2001 and the attempted murder Fehruz Shirinov in 2011.
Two of their siblings, Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov, were killed in police custody in June 2025, with Azerbaijan accusing Russian police of torturing them to death.
Shahin Shikhlinski and his son, Mutvali Shikhlinski, were both detained in Yekaterinburg in July 2025 in connection with the attempted murder of a police officer. Later, his case was linked with the Safarov brothers.
Shahin Shiklinski received a 22-year sentence in the Pashayev and Shirinov cases.
In the decision announced on Thursday, the court also ordered Shikhlinksi to pay ₽350,000 ($4,500) and ₽250,000 ($3,200) to the two victims respectively.
Nate Ostiller
Along with Shikhlinski, the Safarov brothers — Akif, Ayaz, Bakir, Kamal, and Mazahir — were sentenced to 10–21 years in jail for murder.
All were ordered to serve the first four years in a maximum-security prison.
According to the verdict, the Safarov brothers were also fined, with the proceeds earmarked to be sent as compensation to the victims. The Safarov brothers were ₽50,000-₽450,000 ($630-$5,700), while Rajabov was fined ₽200,000 ($2,500).
The death of two of the other Safarov brothers back in June 2025 set off tensions between Azerbaijan and Russia that had been simmering since the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash in December 2024 after it was accidentally targeted by Russian anti-air missiles.
In June 2025 the raids and Safarov brothers’ arrest was assessed by the Azerbaijan government as ethnic violence against Azerbaijanis in Russia.
Following this incident, Baku cancelled a number of Russia-related events and raided the offices of Sputnik Azerbaijan.
Aytan Farhadova
