Voronezh: It has been revealed that Azerbaijani national Niyaz Zahidov Azim, who was detained in the Voronezh region of Russia, was deprived of his Russian citizenship in June of this year, according to the information obtained by the Russian bureau of APA. Zahidov’s citizenship was terminated by the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for the Voronezh region, with the decision being dated June 3, 2025. Zahidov had three months to appeal the decision to a higher authority.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, Mehdi Mehdiyev, the head of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Voronezh, disclosed that Zahidov had been the subject of a police operation by a special unit, OMON, which raided his birthday party several years ago. Mehdiyev further explained that Zahidov does not hold Azerbaijani citizenship and was deported from Azerbaijan some time ago.

Mehdiyev recounted an incident involving Zahidov’s recent attempt to enter Azerbaijan following his brother’s death, which resulted in his deportation from the country. He remarked that the Russian authorities subsequently revoked Zahidov’s citizenship. Mehdiyev added, “They came to his house and said that his citizenship had been taken away.”

Mehdiyev emphasized that the overall situation concerning the Azerbaijani diaspora in Voronezh remains calm, indicating that Zahidov’s case is an isolated incident.