During an interview with the Al Arabiya television channel, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that in 1920, Russian troops "invaded" the country and "occupied" it. The translation of this interview was published by the state news agency AZERTAC.
Responding to a question about the Zangezur Corridor and the origins of the conflict with Armenia, Aliyev noted: "The Bolsheviks, who carried out the 1917 revolution, deceived the people. Their slogans were: 'factories and plants to the workers, land to the peasants, freedom to the nations.' We established our own state, but the Bolsheviks took it away from us."
Touching on the topic of Azerbaijan's mediation between the Middle East and Israel, the president emphasized that Baku "advocates for the territorial integrity of all states." As an illustration, he cited the full-scale war in Ukraine. "From the first days of the Russian invasion, we have supported and continue to support the territorial integrity of Ukraine," Aliyev said.
Separately, the head of state commented on the recent deterioration of relations with Russia. He stated that Azerbaijan always acts constructively and within the framework of the law but "will not tolerate any manifestations of aggression or disrespect toward itself."
Aliyev also mentioned the incident involving the Safarov brothers: "Two people were tortured and killed. Official information [from Russia] later claimed they died of a heart attack. Even if they allegedly committed crimes, they are still human beings. Treating them this way is unacceptable. What kind of attitude is this? This is an unprecedented act against our people."
In June 2025, security forces in Yekaterinburg conducted a raid against several dozen ethnic Azerbaijanis suspected of murders committed between 2001 and 2011. The Safarov brothers died during detention. An examination conducted by the Azerbaijani side revealed that they had broken ribs, multiple hemorrhages, and bruises in the groin area.