Baku: Yekaterinburg: Former head of the Azerbaijani diaspora in the Urals, Shahin Shikhlinski, has been sentenced to 9 years in prison for using violence against a public official, while his son, Mutvali Shikhlinski, has received an 8-year sentence, APA's Russia bureau reports. The verdict was handed down by the Kirovsky District Court of Yekaterinburg.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, the operation against Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg began in June of the previous year, involving Russian law enforcement agencies. Force was employed during this operation, resulting in the deaths of two Azerbaijani brothers, Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov. Additional members of the Safarov family, along with several compatriots, were arrested by court order, facing charges related to crimes allegedly committed in 2001, 2010, and 2011.

Subsequently, Shahin Shikhlinski and his son Mutvali were detained. An incident on July 1, near 'Baku Plaza,' involved Federal Security Service (FSB) operatives, who were in unmarked uniforms and vehicles, ambushing the Shikhlinski vehicle driven by Mutvali. During this confrontation, Mutvali lost control of the car, hitting an FSB officer. In court, Mutvali expressed regret, stating the incident was accidental.

On the day of their detention, both Shahin and Mutvali Shikhlinski were released. However, a criminal case was later initiated against them on charges of using violence against a government official. Initially, Mutvali was detained, followed by the arrest of Shahin Shikhlinski on charges related to contract murder and attempted contract murder.