Ramazan Mkhtse, a lawyer and activist from Cherkessk, has become the subject of new criminal cases. He has been charged with publicly calling for attacks on state security and publicly disseminating "fakes" about the Russian Armed Forces.

The Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers has decided to completely suspend cargo traffic across the state border with Iran. All crossing points, including transit routes for international carriers, have been closed. The official reason for this move was the Iranian drone strikes on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan on March 5.

On March 5, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev received calls from leaders of various countries expressing solidarity with Baku in connection with the recent events. In particular, the drone attack on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, carried out by Iran using unmanned aerial vehicles, was strongly condemned by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze, Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs. During the phone call, the politicians expressed support for the Azerbaijani people and wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the incident.

The former head of the Azerbaijani diaspora in Yekaterinburg, Shahin Shikhlinsky, was sentenced to 22 years in a maximum-security prison colony. Six other Azerbaijani-born individuals received sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev issued a strong statement regarding the shelling of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, accusing Iran of attacking civilian targets with drones. He said the Nakhchivan International Airport, the terminal building, and a school were hit.

Three police officers detained for the brutal beating of a driver in Nazran have been charged with abuse of power with the use of violence by a group of persons by prior conspiracy (Part 3, Article 286 of the Russian Criminal Code). This was reported by the republic's Investigative Committee.

On March 5, at midday, drones launched from Iran exploded at the airport in the Azerbaijani city of Nakhchivan and near a school in the village of Shekerabad. Nakhchivan is approximately 30 kilometers from the Iranian border.

Following a ruling by the Supreme Court of the Republic to review the case, the Shali City Court of Chechnya reduced the prison sentence of Zarema Musayeva, the mother of opposition activists, from four years to three years and 10 months. In her final statement, as in all previous hearings, she denied guilt in attacking an FSIN officer, the Team Against Torture reported.

The international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) issued a statement on the case of Farid Mehralizade, an economist and contributor to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. RSF emphasizes that his appeal will be heard on March 6 and calls for the immediate release of Mehralizade, as well as all other journalists in custody in Azerbaijan.

According to the Council of Europe, Azerbaijan ranks first in Europe for the number of journalists arrested and convicted. At the end of 2025, the country had 36 such journalists—out of a total of 148 across the continent. Russia accounts for 32 repressed media workers, Armenia for two, and Georgia for one.