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Russian court rejects appeal of Azerbaijani diaspora leader Shahin Shikhlinski

10 October 2025 11:18 (UTC +04:00)

The Sverdlovsk Regional Court in Russia has reviewed the appeal of Shahin Shikhlinski, the head of the Azerbaijani diaspora, APA’s Moscow bureau reports.

Shikhlinski’s lawyer appealed the verdict of the first-instance court to a higher court, requesting a more lenient pre-trial detention measure for his client.

The Sverdlovsk Regional Court, after reviewing the case materials in a closed session, found no grounds to uphold the appeal.

As a result, Shahin Shikhlinski will remain in detention until December 30, 2025.

Shikhlinski was first detained on July 2. Law enforcement officers dressed in military uniforms, wearing masks, and without any identification signs, blocked the car he was in in the middle of the street. Using force, they pulled Shahin Shikhlinski and his son Mutvali out of the vehicle, threw them to the ground, and handcuffed them.

Mutvali Shikhlinski was released 15 minutes after the detention, while Shahin Shikhlinski was released after being interrogated for several hours at the Investigative Department.

Subsequently, law enforcement agencies opened a criminal case against the Shikhlinskis on charges of using force against a state official during their detention. On July 16, Mutvali Shikhlinski was detained and placed under pre-trial detention. Shahin Shikhlinski was declared wanted. On August 2, Shahin Shikhlinski was also detained in Moscow and transferred to Yekaterinburg. On August 24, a court ordered his pre-trial detention. On September 24, the detention period was extended until December 30.