Podolyaka: In the case of the Ural Azerbaijanis, the security forces may contact Aliyev

Blogger Yuri Podolyaka believes that the inadequate reaction of the Azerbaijani authorities to the detention of members of an ethnic group in Yekaterinburg is due to the fact that Moscow could go directly to President Ilham Aliyev from Azerbaijanis detained by Russian special services. He stressed that he puts forward this idea "as a version."

As Podolyaka noted, such a reaction is something out of the ordinary, since usually "the official authorities do not fit in for serial killers."

"There is clearly something wrong here, and there are pitfalls. And then the thought came to my mind whether the detention of the gang was a reaction of our authorities to the strange abduction of a Russian citizen — Talysh public figure Zahiraddin Ibrahimi (March 26, 2025). Who mysteriously disappeared in Sverdlovsk region and "surfaced" in an Azerbaijani prison. It was a resounding slap in the face to Moscow and the Russian special services. Then they immediately thought of the Azerbaijani special services, which could be helped by fellow countrymen from the local organized criminal group," writes Podolyaka.

And after all, what a coincidence, he emphasizes, all the arrested are just "fellow countrymen" from the local Sverdlovsk organized criminal group, "and they were detained on a case that had obviously been on the shelf for a long time and was waiting in the wings."

"And the Azerbaijani authorities immediately stood up for them "as relatives". And I have a suspicion that this interest is not accidental and official Baku is afraid that the details of the abduction of Zahiraddin Ibrahimi will come to light. Which could well have been stolen by the very members of the organized criminal group who were arrested the day before (for official Baku, this was the easiest option). And then everything falls into place. Aliyev is afraid that Russia may accuse him of working with a criminal syndicate (with all the consequences)," suggests Podolyaka.