Opposition figure Gulu Mammadli stated that the arrest of Ali Karimli, leader of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was expected, but the reasons go beyond simple criticism of the authorities. According to Mammadli, Karimli's publications in major Western media have increased his political significance and visibility abroad, which has caused concern among the Azerbaijani authorities.
Former Senator from Karachay-Cherkessia Rauf Arashukov, who is serving a life sentence for organizing murders and gas theft, has repeatedly tried to sign a contract with the Russian Defense Ministry to participate in "SVO". According to his lawyer Elmar Alizade, Arashukov submitted relevant applications and even wrote a letter to the President of Russia, but his requests for pardon were not granted.
In December 2022, the Moscow City Court found Rauf and his father, high-ranking Gazprom employee Raul, guilty of organizing the murders of two public figures in Karachay-Cherkessia and the theft of gas worth billions of rubles. Both were sentenced to life imprisonment.
In addition, in October 2024, already in the Black Dolphin colony, Rauf Arashukov, according to the investigation, tried to bribe an FSIN employee for 3 million rubles in order to receive additional privileges.