Azerbaijan cancels Russian cultural events over targeted violence

Azerbaijan has cancelled all planned cultural events involving Russian organisations after recent acts of violence against Azerbaijanis in Russia.

"In response to targeted and extrajudicial killings and acts of violence against Azerbaijanis based on their ethnicity, demonstratively perpetrated by Russian law enforcement agencies in the Yekaterinburg region of the Russian Federation – and considering the systematic nature of such incidents in recent times – all cultural events planned in Azerbaijan involving Russian state and private entities have been cancelled," the Ministry of Culture of Azerbaijan told AZERTAC.

The cancelled events include concerts, festivals, performances, exhibitions, and similar activities.

It was also noted that citizens who purchased tickets for the cancelled events may return them through the relevant ticket sales points or online platforms.

On 27 June 2025, Russian courts detained six Azerbaijanis in Yekaterinburg as part of an ongoing case linked to a crime from the early 2000s, with proceedings held behind closed doors and allegations of coerced confessions and mistreatment. Several detainees reportedly sustained injuries during the police operation, while legal challenges and investigations continue.

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