Yekaterinburg incident manifests discrimination against Azerbaijanis at high levels in Russian authorities

The Yekaterinburg incident is a manifestation of discrimination against Azerbaijanis at high levels in the Russian government, the Chairman of the Center for the Promotion of Human Rights Public Union, member of the Azerbaijani Bar Association, Doctor of Law, Professor Amir Aliyev, said in his statement to Report.

According to Aliyev, Azerbaijan is fully justified in taking appropriate steps to protect the rights of Azerbaijanis living abroad in connection with the known unlawful actions of the relevant Russian state bodies in Yekaterinburg:

"All activities carried out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Azerbaijan in this matter are fully consistent with international law. Each state has the full right to protect the rights of its compatriots through its legislation in accordance with the generally recognized principles and norms of international law, including the Republic of Azerbaijan. In general, this is a recognized and accepted practice in the international community, an integral element of diplomatic protection."

Aliyev said that Azerbaijan may appeal to relevant international bodies (international control or international judicial bodies):

"This appeal can be made by the injured parties, as well as by the state itself. This is recognized by international law, and also has widespread practice. After the shooting down of the AZAL plane in Russian airspace came to light, we observe a gradual, step-by-step deterioration of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia. This is not accidental. So, there has still been no official apology for this incident, no compensation for the damage caused, and no accountability measures have been taken. Thus, I believe that the above is a direct indication of the discriminatory, unlawful and biased state approach towards Azerbaijan and Azerbaijanis at high levels in the Russian authorities. The elimination of such cases and the immediate implementation of appropriate accountability measures is an important international obligation of Russia."