Stacy
Azerbaijan has banned Russian State Duma lawmaker Nikolai Valuev from entering the country, following offensive remarks he made about Azerbaijan and its people.
The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry condemned his statements, calling them “absolutely unacceptable.” In a Telegram post, Valuev, a former world heavyweight boxing champion, claimed that Azerbaijan uses diaspora groups in Russia for illicit activities such as illegal migration, tax evasion, and corporate raids.
This move adds Valuev to the growing list of Russian lawmakers banned from Azerbaijan, marking him as at least the third such figure. His comments were in response to Azerbaijan’s recent actions, including the closure of Rossotrudnichestvo’s local branch, a Russian state-funded cultural agency. Azerbaijan accused the agency of operating without proper legal registration. In the aftermath, Valuev suggested Moscow could retaliate by targeting ethnic Azeris in Russia and their financial dealings.
Azerbaijani media previously reported that Rossotrudnichestvo’s “Russian House” cultural center in Baku harbored Russian intelligence agents, prompting Russia’s Foreign Ministry to summon Azerbaijan’s ambassador and reject the claims. Additionally, the head of Rossotrudnichestvo, Yevgeny Primakov, announced intentions to file a defamation lawsuit against BakuTV, which aired the accusations.
This diplomatic tension comes amid worsening relations between Moscow and Baku, further strained by the December 25 crash of Azerbaijan Airlines Flight 8243. The Azerbaijani government claims the plane was struck by “external objects,” likely fired from Russian air defense systems, though Moscow denies any involvement. In another move, Azerbaijan ordered the closure of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) due to a “lack of legal basis” for its operations, further heightening tensions between the two nations.
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Olivia
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