Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry sends a note to Russia over the forced deployment of Azerbaijanis to war
17 September, 2024 Flags of Russia and Azerbaijan. Photo from open sources The Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry sent a note to the Russian Foreign Ministry in connection with the Azerbaijanis detained in Chechnya.
They were allegedly sent to war with Ukraine by force. Azerbaijani media APA reported on this, citing diplomatic sources. It is reported that a note was sent to the Russian Foreign Ministry concerning Azerbaijani citizens Nihad Rzayev, Elkhan Shirinov, and Vugar Magerramov detained in Chechnya.
Forced mobilization of migrants
In September 2023, the Russian media outlet Medusa reported that Russian law enforcement officers regularly raid businesses where migrants work.
Their targets are usually men who recently received Russian citizenship but have not registered for military service. Such men are forcibly taken to the military registration and enlistment offices to be issued draft notices. For example, on September 16, 2024, investigators from the Investigative Committee's Krasnoyarsk Krai and Khakassia Republic offices raided markets in Krasnoyarsk.
During the raid, 520 people were taken to the police department, including 417 foreign nationals - each was checked against the information records, and the State Investigation Service's forensic investigators took samples of their buccal epithelium to check for involvement in crimes. In addition, during the raid, 92 citizens who had received Russian citizenship but had not registered for military service in a timely manner were identified, and they were served with summonses to military commissariats," the Investigation Committee's telegram channel reported. On September 13, 2024, it was reported that 45 Indian citizens were dismissed from the Russian military.
Another 50 continue to fight on the side of Russia against Ukraine. The 45 Indians were reportedly illegally forced to join the Russian army and fight at the front against Ukraine. Before this, Indian intelligence services uncovered a large human trafficking network.
Members of the group deceitfully recruited young men to Russia, where they were forced to sign contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry. According to the investigation, a group of individuals, including three Russians, recruited Indians under the pretext of entering private universities in Russia. However, upon arrival in Russia, the Indians' passports were taken away from them, and they were forcibly sent to study.
And then to the war in Ukraine. "It has come to light that upon arrival in Russia, the passports of these Indian nationals were taken/stolen by agents in Russia. They were trained in military duties and provided with Russian military uniforms and weapons.
Later, the Indian citizens were sent to the front lines in the combat zone against their wishes, putting their lives in grave danger," India's Central Bureau of Investigation reported.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of the release of Indians from the Russian army during his visit to Moscow.