The State Security Service of Azerbaijan reported the arrest of four citizens who participated in military conflicts outside the country. In January 2026, criminal cases were opened against them for participating in hostilities on the side of armed groups in Russia and Ukraine.

According to the SSS, a significant number of Azerbaijani citizens have been killed, missing, wounded, or captured during the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

"Citizens are once again informed that participation in such armed conflicts entails criminal liability in the Republic of Azerbaijan, and henceforth, the responsibility of individuals committing such criminal acts in foreign countries will be ensured in accordance with the law," the DTX AR statement emphasized.

Earlier, a Baku court arrested two men who fought in the Russian PMC Wagner – Ramil Aliyev and Ismail Hasanov – in a criminal case. They are accused of mercenarism. According to investigators, Aliyev and Gasanov were convicted in Russia of premeditated murder and other serious and especially serious crimes and sentenced to lengthy prison terms. They were released after signing a contract to participate in a Russian "special operation" in Ukraine as part of the Wagner PMC.