17 Oct 2026
Editor-in-Chief of Sputnik Azerbaijan Yevgeny Belousov Leaves Baku After Release
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.
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