The head of Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia's Ulyanovsk city, Islam Huseynov, has been stripped of his Russian citizenship amid the and could face deportation. The decision was made by the regional department of the Russian Interior Ministry, at the behest of the Federal Security Service on Wednesday.
Huseynov, 56, has lived in Ulyanovsk for 20 years and has led the Azerbaijani diaspora since 2005. The official reason for the revocation has not been revealed, however, there could be political reasons behind the decision as several other diaspora figures in Russia have experienced similar problems against the backdrop of deterioration of Moscow-Baku ties.
Huseynov has also refused to respond to media's que
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev presented Huseynov with the “Progress” Medal, and the Ulyanovsk regional government recognized him with the “Friendship of Peoples” Medal.
The official reasons for the revocation remain unclear, but some speculate it may be politically motivated, given the sharp decline in Russia-Azerbaijan relations over the past year. Other members of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia have faced comparable issues. The relations between Moscow and Baku worsened after Russia accidentally downed an Azerbaijani passenger plane in December. The ties hit rock bottom after two Azerbaijani were killed during a police raid in their home in Yekaterinburg in June. Tensions escalated after Baku issued formal complaint to Russia, cancelled Russia-related cultural events, shut down the office of Russia's Sputnik media outlet. and detained several of its employees. Russian President Vladimir Putin officially admitted Russia's role in the downing of AZAL's plane in December during a face-to-face meeting with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Dushanbe, Tajikistan earlier this month.
