Russian journalist returns home from Baku after months under arrest

A Russian journalist detained in Azerbaijan earlier this year has been released and is returning home, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

Maria Zakharova, the ministry’s spokeswoman, confirmed that Igor Kartavykh – editor-in-chief of Sputnik Azerbaijan news agency – boarded a flight to Moscow after being cleared to leave the country.

Kartavykh was detained in June following a police raid on Sputnik’s Baku office.

Azerbaijani authorities charged him with fraud and illegal business activity, accusations the media outlet called “absurd.” 

Zakharova said Russian diplomats had maintained contact with officials in Baku throughout the case and that Kartavykh had been placed under house arrest before his release.

“Kartavykh has been released from custody and has flown to Russia,” Zakharova told TASS on Sunday.

Kartavykh confirmed that he had landed in Moscow, telling RIA Novosti: “I feel fine – I’m glad to be back home.”

Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan deteriorated after an Azerbaijan Airlines Embraer 190 crashed on December 25, 2024, near Aktau, Kazakhstan, killing all 38 people on board. The aircraft had been damaged during its approach to the Russian city of Grozny amid Ukrainian drone activity.

Further escalation followed a Russian law enforcement raid in Ekaterinburg earlier this year that led to the deaths of two Azerbaijani nationals identified as suspected gang members.

Kremlin foreign-policy aide Yury Ushakov said the decision to free Kartavykh was made ahead of meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe earlier in October. He added that the development was part of a reciprocal arrangement, under which Mammadali Agayev, an Azerbaijani national detained in Moscow on embezzlement charges, was also released. 

During his meeting with Aliyev, Putin commented on the tragedy, stating that the crash was most likely triggered when a Russian missile self-destructed near the aircraft during an air-defense response to a Ukrainian attack. He promised appropriate compensation for the victims and accountability for any misconduct.

The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to trade, humanitarian, and regional cooperation, pledging to continue dialogue “in the spirit of partnership and alliance.”