(Breitbart)—A rapidly escalating diplomatic feud between Russia and Azerbaijan has developed over the death of two Azeri men arrested by Russian police during an organized crime investigation who died in custody under mysterious circumstances. Azerbaijan has accused the Russians of torturing the men to death.
The men who died in Russian custody were brothers named Ziyaddin and Huseyn Safarov. They were taken into custody along with about 50 other Azeris during a raid in Yekaterinburg, Russia, on June 27.
Russian officials said the raid was conducted as part of an investigation into an ethnic organized crime ring – essentially an Azeri mafia – whose crimes included the stabbing death of an Azeri clothier named Yunis Pashayev in 2001.
Pashayev was allegedly killed for refusing to pay protection money to the gang. According to Russian prosecutors, the gang has made several other attempts to murder businessmen who would not comply with its financial demands over the years.
The people detained on June 27 included four suspects who shared the last name Safarov. Ziyaddin and Huseyn were confirmed to be brothers, aged 55 and 60, respectively. Both of them died under enigmatic circumstances.
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