Azerbaijan protests to Russia over comments on disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region
BAKU, Azerbaijan — Azerbaijan filed a formal protest with Russia on Friday after a Russian lawmaker condemned the sentencing of 13 ethnic Armenians who previously held high-ranking positions in the former breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh.
The government in Baku officially expressed its dissatisfaction to Moscow over the legislator's remarks. The protest follows the conviction of individuals captured after Azerbaijan regained full control of the territory in 2023.
Initial reports did not disclose the identity of the Russian lawmaker or specific details regarding the sentences.
Saigon Sentinel Analysis
Azerbaijan’s recent diplomatic friction with Russia represents far more than a routine bilateral spat; it signals a profound erosion of Moscow’s traditional hegemony in the South Caucasus. For decades, the Kremlin served as the indispensable power broker and primary peacekeeper between Armenia and Azerbaijan. However, Baku’s decisive military victory in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023 has fundamentally dismantled that long-standing security architecture.
Emboldened by strategic backing from Turkey, Azerbaijan has adopted an increasingly assertive posture, no longer viewing its interests as tethered to Moscow’s approval. This shift is exacerbated by Russia’s protracted war of attrition in Ukraine, which has significantly drained its diplomatic capital and diverted military resources, leaving the Kremlin poorly positioned to police its "near abroad."
Baku’s sharp condemnation of recent comments by a Russian lawmaker is a symbolic assertion of this new reality. By signaling that it will no longer tolerate even marginal interference in its domestic affairs—particularly regarding the prosecution of former separatist officials—Azerbaijan is effectively declaring its absolute sovereignty. This direct challenge to Russia’s historical role suggests that the regional power balance has reached a tipping point, giving way to a new and more complex geopolitical order in which Moscow is no longer the sole arbiter of stability.