In Azerbaijan, Russian relocants detained during the conflict between Baku and Moscow were sentenced to up to four years for “drug smuggling”

In Azerbaijan, Russian relocants detained during the conflict between Baku and Moscow were given sentences of up to four years for “drug smuggling”

Sergey Sofronov, Anton Drachev, Dmitry Bezugly, and Valery Dulov received four years in prison each, while Dmitry Fedorov, Boris Timoshov, Alexey Vasilchenko, and Ilya Bezugly received three years each.

The crisis in relations between Russia and Azerbaijan began in December 2024, after an AZAL airline plane crashed because of the work of Russian air defenses. For a long time, the Russian authorities refused to take responsibility for what happened or apologize, which led to a sharp reaction from Baku.

In the summer of 2025, the crisis worsened when influential representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora began to be detained in Russia. In response, 11 random Russian citizens were detained in Azerbaijan, including recently relocated IT specialists and entrepreneurs, as well as tourists.

The first three sentences against the Russians were handed down in April and May. Alexander Vaisero was given four years, while Igor Zabolotsky and Ilnur Valitov received three years each. All three were found guilty of cyber fraud and money laundering.

@meduzalive

Meduza

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