Representatives of the Council of Europe have called on Azerbaijani authorities to release human rights defender Anar Mammadli, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Specifically, PACE rapporteur on political prisoners Azadeh Rojhan asserts that his prosecution is political in nature and that fundamental principles of a fair trial were violated during the proceedings.
Former Federation Council member Rauf Arashukov from the Karachay-Cherkess Republic, serving a life sentence in the Black Dolphin prison colony in Orenburg, expressed a desire to be transferred to a prison colony in Mordovia. The reason for this transfer is the fact that his father, Raul Arashukov, is also serving a life sentence there for stealing gas and organizing two murders.
In January 2025, the Leninsky Court of Orenburg sentenced Rauf Arashukov to an additional 10-year prison term and a 120 million ruble fine for attempting to bribe a Federal Penitentiary Service officer to obtain prison privileges. An appeal of this sentence is currently being considered.
Both Arashukovs were arrested on January 30, 2019, with Rauf being arrested during a Federation Council session. In December 2022, the Moscow City Court found them guilty of creating an organized crime group, organizing murders, and embezzling 4.4 billion rubles worth of gas from Gazprom.