Baku: Azerbaijan and Russia exchanged protest notes on Tuesday amid escalating diplomatic tensions. This followed a law enforcement raid in Yekaterinburg, Russia, which led to the arrest of two Azerbaijanis who later died in custody.

According to Anadolu Agency, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned Rahman Mustafayev, Azerbaijan's ambassador in Moscow. A protest was lodged over what Russia described as "unfriendly" actions by Azerbaijan and deliberate steps aimed at dismantling bilateral relations. The Russian side demanded the release of two Russian journalists from the Sputnik Azerbaijan news agency, detained in Baku a day earlier.

On Monday, Azerbaijan's Interior Ministry announced a law enforcement operation at Sputnik Azerbaijan's offices in Baku, resulting in the detention of several individuals, including the agency's head, Igor Kartavykh, and editor-in-chief, Yevgeny Belousov. The operation followed police raids in Yekaterinburg, Russia, where two Azerbaijanis died.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry responded by summoning Russia's charge d'affaires, demanding a full investigation into the incident. The Azerbaijani Culture Ministry canceled all Russian cultural events in the country. Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Aykhan Hajizada, stated that Baku also delivered its own protest note to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Hajizada claimed the note protested the alleged use of torture and degrading treatment by Russian authorities during interrogations. He emphasized the actions violated human rights and displayed ethnic intolerance, sparking public outrage in Azerbaijan. The note reiterated Baku's demand for a thorough investigation and accountability for those responsible.

The Azerbaijani ambassador conveyed that actions by Azerbaijani law enforcement at Sputnik-Azerbaijan's office were consistent with national laws and international obligations, according to Hajizada. Azerbaijan's Prosecutor General's Office has initiated a criminal case into the incident, and the note called for non-interference in Azerbaijan's internal affairs.

The note concluded by asserting that Azerbaijan's actions were legal compared to those of Russian authorities and highlighted contradictions in bilateral relations between the two countries.