Relatives of Russians arrested in Baku complain about lack of information from diplomats

The Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan promises support to the families of the Russians arrested in Baku, but does not give them any specific information about the case. Two weeks ago, the Russian Foreign Ministry publicly stated that it was "working to release" the arrested.

As "Kavkazsky Uzel" reported, on July 1, a Baku courtarrested eight Russian citizens detained on charges of drug trafficking and cybercrime. Moscow is counting on Baku's refusal to take excessive and unfair measures against the detained Russians,Human Rights Commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said on July 9. On July 16, it became known that the relatives of the Russians arrested in Baku were able to see them, and the Russian consul called their conditions of detention good.

The mothers of some of the Russian citizens arrested in Baku were able to see them when they arrived in Azerbaijan, but the Russian embassy staff are saying nothing about the prospects for their release.

Among those who were able to see their relatives are the mothers of Anton Drachev (41) and Sergei Sofronov (23). “Drachev’s family is monitoring the political situation, but the Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan has not yet provided any specific information. Anton’s mother said that in prison the man plays sports, reads books, plays chess and tries not to lose heart,” Baza writes today.

Sofronov’s mother, in turn, claims that representatives of the Azerbaijani authorities “verbally” recognized the case as political, without specifying who exactly made such a statement in her presence. The Russian Embassy in Azerbaijan, according to her, only promises support to the families.

Another Russian arrested in Azerbaijan is 35-year-old Alexander Vaseiro from Yekaterinburg. According to the mother, she did not fly to Baku to meet with her son, but a lawyer saw him. “According to the mother, her son is in a panic and does not understand why he was arrested,” the publication notes.

According to relatives, among the eight Russians arrested in one case, there are only two people who know each other; they were friends. All the others do not know each other or them. 

On August 13, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Moscow was working on options for releasing the Russians detained in Azerbaijan and returning them to their homeland. However, no specific information about the possibility of their release was made public after this. 

“Work is underway with the Azerbaijani side on options for the speedy release and return home of the Russian citizens held in Baku. We proceed from the fact that such a decision would be a significant step in the process of stabilizing interstate relations between Russia and Azerbaijan,” RIA Novosti quoted Alexei Fadeyev, deputy head of the Foreign Ministry’s information and press department, as saying.

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