The editor-in-chief of the news agency Sputnik Azerbaijan, Yevgeny Belousov, has left Baku following his release from custody. This was reported by the official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova. According to her, Belousov departed Baku after being released from detention.

Earlier, on October 19, the head of the Sputnik Azerbaijan editorial office, Igor Kartavykh, returned to Russia after his release from custody.

It should be noted that the detention of Sputnik Azerbaijan journalists took place in June 2025. In July, they were released from custody and placed under house arrest. In early October, it became known that Kartavykh had been released from house arrest and returned to Moscow.

The journalists’ release occurred against the backdrop of diplomatic rapprochement between Russia and Azerbaijan. In early October, the presidents of the two countries held a meeting to discuss issues of bilateral cooperation and security.

Thus, all Russian journalists previously detained in Azerbaijan have finally returned home – as if human rights reports could be “released” on a schedule. This event vividly underscores that diplomacy and press freedom in authoritarian regimes sometimes operate according to the principle of “we’ll release them when we feel like it”, and that international efforts often resemble theater.

#AZERBAIJAN

27.10.2025 12:38