An Azerbaijani court has sentenced the first of the arrested Russian citizens.

An Azerbaijani court has sentenced Russian citizen Alexander Vaysero, who was allegedly taken hostage last year but was accused by the country's authorities of alleged money laundering, to four years in prison.

According to the Azerbaijani publication Minval, citing criminal case materials, investigators believe Vaysero laundered 727 manats (approximately 32 million rubles), allegedly obtained through illegal bookmaking, lottery, and "other online gambling resources." Furthermore, they claim these funds were transferred to bank cards registered to different people in an attempt to conceal their origin.

Vaysero and seven other Russian citizens were detained in the summer of 2025, amid a sharp deterioration in relations between Moscow and Baku. Their trials only began this year. The remaining Russian citizens arrested in Azerbaijan are accused of drug trafficking and cyber fraud. They are former employees of large Russian companies, IT specialists, and tourists. As is well known, Russian-Azerbaijani relations worsened following the December 2024 crash of an AZAL passenger plane near Aktau, and then following the arrest of members of ethnic organized crime groups in Yekaterinburg.

Despite the fact that Russia and Azerbaijan agreed on compensation for the families of the victims of the crashed plane, officially naming the accidental activation of the Russian DefenseApparently, the agreements reached do not apply to Russian citizens arrested in Baku...

Comments

[expert]

The "partners" are laying the groundwork for a future exchange or, if necessary, putting pressure on the Russian side.

[RuAbel]

I don't think the accusations are empty. The RT people were initially arrested, yes, for show, but they were released three months later. The rest are some shady characters, IT specialists, most of them relocated during the mobilization; it's unclear what they were doing there. I don't think the Foreign Ministry will put much pressure on Azerbaijan.

[astepanov]

Quote from Ruabel

IT specialists, most of whom are relocated due to mobilization

Well, yeah, since he's an IT guy, he should be immediately punched in the face, put on his knees, and thrown in the dungeon. And Aliyev is the Comanche chief's best friend; we can't upset him. What if he loses his appetite? Of course, Bastrykin could gently intervene, but he's busy: reading Grigory Oster and searching "Harmful Advice" for unbearable dirt on the attack on his grandeur and values. And I'm worried: will they put me and my grandson in jail? I read "Harmful Advice" to my grandson, and he listened.

[Zoldat_A]

Quote: astepanov

I'm worried: will they put me and my grandson in jail? I read "Harmful Advice" to my grandson, and he listened.

And somewhere far, far away at this time, an inconspicuous lieutenant at the monitor picked up the intercom receiver....
Good health to you and your grandson! By the way, "Cipollino" is probably also unhealthy these days? Be careful... Maybe you should try reading "Rossiyskaya Gazeta" with your grandson?

[Panin (midshipman)]

Quote: astepanov

Quote from Ruabel

IT specialists, most of whom are relocated due to mobilization

Well, yeah, since he's an IT guy, he should be immediately punched in the face, put on his knees, and thrown in the dungeon. And Aliyev is the Comanche chief's best friend; we can't upset him. What if he loses his appetite? Of course, Bastrykin could gently intervene, but he's busy: reading Grigory Oster and searching "Harmful Advice" for unbearable dirt on the attack on his grandeur and values. And I'm worried: will they put me and my grandson in jail? I read "Harmful Advice" to my grandson, and he listened.

You won't get jailed for giving harmful advice. But for "summer in a pioneer tie" or for "Game of Thrones," it's possible.

[Simargl]

Quote from Ruabel

I don't think the Foreign Ministry will put much pressure on Azerbaijan.

Why not use this "tool" to apply pressure if necessary?

[gsev]

Quote: Simargl

Why not use this "tool" to apply pressure if necessary?

Aliyev's actions are a tool to put pressure on all intellectuals wishing to work abroad. For Putin and all Russian businessmen, their arrest is a godsend. Others will be wary of traveling to Azerbaijan for work. Furthermore, all Azerbaijani businessmen can now be safely arrested for tax violations. Either Russian IT specialists will flee Azerbaijan to work in their homeland, or Azerbaijani tax evaders will flee to Azerbaijan after new, inevitable arrests in Moscow and Baku.

[Simargl]

Quote: gsev

Aliyev's actions are an instrument of pressure

These are the actions of a dumb monkey with a grenade.
It's true that our government has eggs the size of peas, and even then they're dented (children and money abroad), and therefore they won't take advantage of the situation.

[your1970]

Quote: Simargl

It’s true that our government has eggs the size of a pea, and even those are bruised (children and money abroad), but

Are they in Azerbaijan? Or is Azerbaijan manipulating England/the US as it pleases?

[Simargl]

Quote: your1970

Is Azerbaijan twisting England/USA as it wants?

You have to be so... ignorant...
Azerbaijan is a zone of interest for Britain and the United States, serving as a tool for pressuring Russia. Consequently, they can exert pressure on Russian officials with assets abroad even when they dislike Russia's actions against their (the United States and the Ganglia's) zone of interest.
This is difficult for you. I understand.

[your1970]

Quote: Simargl

Azerbaijan is a zone of interest for England and the United States, as an instrument of pressure on Russia.

I repeat - for very complex ones.
Azerbaijan is not an instrument of pressure on Russian officials - the US and England don't need it for that - they are quite capable of putting pressure on them themselves. They need it for pressure gasket(Azerbaijan) is not needed - they are quite satisfied with the presence of all our officials right in their countries.
And yes, if you're not aware of your complexity, 1/3 of Ukraine's oil refineries, which regularly receive flights, belong to the Azerbaijani diaspora.

[Simargl]

Quote: your1970

I repeat - for very complex ones.

I'll repeat for those who understand alternatives: Azerbaijan - area of ​​interest!!! And so that Russian officials is the correct one behaved with the sphere their (USA and England) interests - they have points pressure in the form of assets NOT in Azerbaijan!

Quote: your1970

1/3 of Ukraine's oil refineries, which regularly receive flights, belong to the Azerbaijani diaspora.

I also remember that flights didn't start arriving right away, and when they did, it wasn't "pretty" enough. The refineries are operating at a sufficient capacity to make a profit.

[your1970]

Quote: Simargl

I also remember that they didn’t start flying right away, and when they did, it wasn’t “beautiful” enough.

If you don't remember well, type it into the search engine right here - the arrivals began almost a week after the start of March.
Just the first articles I came across
02.04.2022
"A strike was carried out on the Kremenchuk oil refinery, which was used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces."

"The military department confirms the destruction of fuel production facilities at an oil refinery on the outskirts of the city of Kremenchuk.
topwar.ru/195436-minoborony-podtverdilo-nanesenie… 25.04.2022
The Kremenchug Oil Refinery's infrastructure, partially intact after earlier strikes, was actively used by the Kyiv regime's forces. Russian troops...
topwar.ru/196199-nanosjatsja-udary-po-… 12.05.2022

[Navik_Navik]

Are you absolutely sure that the Russians are completely innocent?!?

[Sergey Aleksandrovich]

Who are you to blame Russians for anything?

[your1970]

Quote: Sergey Alexandrovich

Who are you to blame Russians for anything?

Hmm, 980,000 convicts serving sentences in the Russian Federation - there are no Russians there?

[Denis_999]

Easterners are very good at reading the weakness/indecision of their opponents/victims. And if this is demonstrated more than once, then it's all over.

So... we have what we have...

[PVV22121922]

Drive all Azerbaijanis out of Russia, give criminals real prison sentences, apply economic pressure, and use all available means of pressure. In the event of open anti-Russian actions by Azerbaijan anywhere, no matter how they are carried out, preemptive strikes will be carried out.

[Vasilenko Vladimir]

First of all, stop the uncontrolled issuance of citizenship, and ideally review those already issued

[Anatole Klim]

Azerbaijani mafia clans have firmly established themselves in Russia's regions and are pumping good money into Azerbaijan. When they were clamped down on in Yekaterinburg, the Azerbaijani authorities struck a blow against the Russian citizens who had fled. On the one hand, the Russian authorities want to tell the Russians to stay home and not run away, but on the other, they will have to be rescued; they are Russian citizens. They will most likely be exchanged for Azerbaijani gangsters.

[Krasnoyarsk]

Quote: Anatol Klim

They'll have to be rescued; they're Russian citizens. They'll most likely be exchanged for Azerbaijani bandits.

But for this, criminal cases must be opened against the Azeri bandits and brought to trial... with real prison terms for them. Are "our" local judges ready for this?

[Panin (midshipman)]

Quote: Krasnoyarsk

Quote: Anatol Klim

They'll have to be rescued; they're Russian citizens. They'll most likely be exchanged for Azerbaijani bandits.

But for this, criminal cases must be opened against the Azeri bandits and brought to trial... with real prison terms for them. Are "our" local judges ready for this?

Well, Shakhlinsky was sentenced to 14 years, his son to 8

[Krasnoyarsk]

Quote: Panin (Michman)

Well, Shakhlinsky was sentenced to 14 years, his son to 8

I. Aliyev stands up for his people. The arrested Russians are retaliation for the arrested Azerbaijanis. Guilty or not, it doesn't matter. And what about ours? Never mind, let them sit.
There will be no response.

[Denis_999]

Here, the magic words—trade turnover, investment—are paramount. For certain individuals, this is MORE powerful than any national pride, national prestige, and the like.

Alas, alas ...

[PVV22121922]

We'll also be digging a tunnel to Azerbaijan. We'll be digging tunnels...

[novel66]

By the way, that's a good point! They're not NATO. Just give the oil industry a one-time thrashing and verbally explain why, and when to do it again.

[Andobor]

The Baku-Supsa oil pipeline is in Georgia,
On March 15, 2022, oil pumping through the pipeline was suspended. As of May 2023, oil transportation through the pipeline is not ongoing. There are no plans to resume transportation. and all because 1,5 km of this oil pipeline is controlled by Russia, it passes through the territory of South Ossetia.
So Aliyev is being screwed over, and on top of that, all his oil and gas assets in Ukraine were burned down by our people.

[Simargl]

Quote: Andobor

And all because Russia controls 1,5 km of this pipeline

It's like taking over the only toilet in a five-room apartment and controlling it.

[Andobor]

Quote: Simargl

It's like taking over the only toilet in a five-room apartment and controlling it.

Yes, and some people wonder why Aliyev is so angry.

[your1970]

Quote: novel xnumx

Give the oil company a whack once and verbally explain why and when to repeat.

Didn't you know that half of the oil refineries in Ukraine belong to the Azerbaijani diaspora? And they get regular flights?

[fiberboard]

Who's going to persecute them? Have you forgotten that here we have one "democratically elected" person building a "tolerant, spiritually strong, and friendly" state? The prosecutor's office is on the alert, and there are already people being punished for the slogan "Russia for Russians!" declared extremist.

[vitaliy20091959]

Caucasians are the towers' last loyal guard, and by feeding them, they hope to fight off the Russian people.

[fruc]

Russia and Azerbaijan have agreed on compensation for the families of the victims of the crashed plane.... The agreement does not apply to Russian citizens arrested in Baku...

What does compensation for the families of plane crash victims have to do with money laundering through illegal bookmakers, lotteries, and "other online gambling resources?" Or is this what's causing some outrage here? If the facts are proven, let them go to the Azerbaijani prison.

[Ignatius555]

As the saying goes, "He who chooses shame between war and shame, receives both." They couldn't have linked the payments to the victims of the plane to the release of our hostages from prison in Azerbaijan.

[PVV22121922]

They can't do anything. They can't and they don't want to. "We're like that."

[guest]

Despite the fact that Russia and Azerbaijan have agreed on compensation While the families of the victims of the crashed plane were officially given the blame for the accidental activation of Russian air defense systems, it appears the agreements reached do not apply to the Russian citizens arrested in Baku...

Yes, precisely because Russia (how can I put it without swearing) is in front of Azerbaijan, that's what we're getting. It's no secret that if you comply with all the demands of a bandit, he only becomes more brazen and openly expresses his insight.

[PVV22121922]

Absolutely right. The Kremlin's "bending over" to suit everyone, and "with pleasure."

[hector]

Quote: PVV22121922

Absolutely right. The Kremlin's "bending over" to suit everyone, and "with pleasure."

The Kremlin wants to please everyone from the outside, but it turns out like in the joke: "Everyone takes it, tries it, praises it, but no one marries it."

[alexputnik17]

How are we doing with Azerbaijani tomatoes, citizens, diasporas and other things from Azerbaijan?

[PVV22121922]

We are only "glad and in every way welcome our Azerbaijani comrades to our hospitable land!"

[Vladimir M]

We urgently need to open another Azerbaijani theater in Russia...
Damn, there are opportunities to put Aliyev in the stable, but certain “comrades” have no desire.

[PVV22121922]

a weak, spineless, multi-vector Kremlin

[isv000]

Quote: Vladimir M

We urgently need to open another Azerbaijani theater in Russia...
Damn, there are opportunities to put Aliyev in the stable, but certain “comrades” have no desire.

Business. Just business. Nothing personal... Just swearing!

[Sergey39]

Two representatives of the "Russian House" were released. And those who fled Russia during the initial conflict with Ukraine were "lynched." One would have thought that any of their actions in other countries would be under the surveillance of the security services.

[potterz]

Weak foreign policy leads to bad consequences......

[newtc7]

And yet, stupid people will still go there “on vacation”... telling themselves that it’s so interesting to go to this southern country

[Graz]

The citizenship granted to representatives of the Azerbaijani diaspora must be reviewed. If violations are found in the procedure for obtaining Russian citizenship, these people must be stripped of their Russian citizenship. If they commit criminal activity in Russia, all property discovered must be confiscated in favor of the state, and these individuals themselves must be expelled from the territory of the Russian Federation, with a lifetime ban on entry. In general, the naturalization of such individuals in the Russian Federation must be greatly complicated, as must obtaining visas.

[Vol Dimir]

So why the hell pay for a plane that the Azerbaijanis themselves shot down???
Let me remind you that during the raid on Grozny by allegedly "Ukrainian" drones, an Azerbaijan Airlines plane was damaged by alleged air defense missiles.
Firstly, the "Ukrainian" drones were launched from Azerbaijan (just look at the map to see where Grozny is, where Ukraine is, and where Azerbaijan is. Now everyone knows where the "Ukrainian" drones flew from to Ust-Luga; it's the same story here).
Secondly, the pilots initially reported that some kind of cylinder exploded (it is highly probable that a pre-planted bomb exploded)
Third, instead of issuing an SOS and landing in Grozny, the plane turned around and flew toward the Caspian Sea. Then, instead of landing in Kaspiysk (Makhachkala Airport), the supposedly downed plane flew over the Caspian Sea. (At the same time, Baku was closer, and along the coastline.) They could have flown to Astrakhan instead, avoiding the sea.
It seems that the Kremlin, as always, has decided to show a "gesture of goodwill," with childish naivety expecting a reciprocal gesture.
Instead of once again "turning the other cheek" (a gesture of goodwill), they should have carried out Iskander's tour of Aliyev's residence in Baku. You don't have to look far for an example; Israel does just that.

[your1970]

Quote: Vol Dimir

You don't have to look far for an example; Israel does just that.

Has Israel already defeated anyone???

[Maks1995]

"Apparently, the agreements reached do not apply to Russian citizens arrested in Baku..."
What a load of crap. As the "patriots" used to say, the courts should sort this out, not human rights writers. (Goblin, for example.)
And then there's the change of shoes...

Here are the 2 options:
1) If they were truly guilty of money laundering, why should they have been released? Azerbaijan isn't stupid; they had the mafia on their backs and took them at a sign... And everyone already knows that a lot of people are involved in nefarious activities, like cryptocurrency and so on...
2) If they are truly innocent, their lawyers from the Russian side should be telling everyone right here how innocent they are and that they all have alibis... but I don't remember anything like that.

Remember - upon arrest Azerbaijani- diasporas (are they still in prison? or not? I remember they were described as hardened criminals) - two of them simply died for some reason... (I didn't find the reason).
Or maybe they were all innocent? Was there any punishment for death? etc. etc.

We'll see. Maybe later it will become clear just how innocent everyone was...

[your1970]

Quote: Max1995

Remember, when the Azerbaijani diaspora was detained (are they already in jail? Or not? I remember they were described as hardened criminals)

14 and 8 years were given

[isv000]

An Azerbaijani court has sentenced the first of the arrested Russian citizens.

And-and-and-and ?! Is the border locked? Has the humpbacked fly been sent on sanitary inspection? Has agricultural procurement been moved to Persia? Have rhinos been kicked out of the markets?

[Sergey Aleksandrovich]

There are nations that are far more dangerous to have as friends than as enemies. In the case of Azerbaijan, this is 100% true.

[Metallurg_2]

Well, that means we need to continue to tyrannize the diaspora, wholesale markets and vegetable warehouses.

[Dmitry Smirnov_2]

We must not tyrannize, but return these market affairs to the Russians as they should be.

[your1970]

Quote: Dmitry Smirnov_2

We must not tyrannize, but return these market affairs to the Russians as they should be.

The last time Russians were involved in market affairs was under Nicholas II........

[oleg_627]

What do you expect? If you see a weak leader, you try to kick him in the back. It was originally about Turkey shooting down our plane, and we gave them a GAZ and an S-400. Azerbaijan shot down our helicopter, and we mumbled, and off we went. Everyone's jumping along red lines, supplying weapons to Ukraine. The Finns and the Balts are attacking our territory, capturing and sinking our ships, and in response, there's SILENCE. They realized that Stalin isn't at the helm.

[Dmitry Smirnov_2]

It depends on who is really to blame.

[Alisa Tatova]

They wouldn't let their own people go just like that, but here it's foreigners from the CIS. They're simply taking advantage of the situation, since it's not in Russia's interests right now to sort things out with them during military operations in Ukraine. Typical hyena behavior.

[Keperveem72]

I'm quite sure that's exactly what these cowards and scum did in Azerbaijan. They didn't have any money for legal work either. They did the same thing under cover in Russia. I'm all for taking them all away and driving them back to their homelands. But I'm not ready to really root for these ricks. What kind of "relocants" are they? They have a completely different name.

[Idle_piston]

[QuoteAn Azerbaijani court has sentenced the first of the arrested Russian citizens.] [/ Quote]
Don't worry, the Kremlin, represented by "controller" Peskov, is keeping the situation under control.

[easy]

So what are our authorities waiting for? Azeris don't have any problems with our laws? Arrest a couple hundred and jail them for the maximum amount of time. Preferably the leaders of their clans, so they don't transfer any money to Azerbaijan.

[musorg]

When you try to appease your opponent and give in to something, you trigger negativity in them, and they'll only get more brazen! This is where our politics is stuck!