"LET US ALL CALM DOWN"

The killing of a Muscovite Yegor Shcherbakov in the Moscow suburb of Biryulevo, with Azerbaijani citizen Orxan Zeynalov as the suspect perpetrator, triggered a big stir both in Russia and in the motherland of the suspected criminal. The subsequent acts of retaliation by Russian nationalists, the closure of the Pokrovskaya vegetable base where thousands of migrants, mainly Azerbaijanis, are employed and the "special operation" by Russian power-wielding bodies to detain suspect Orxan Zeynalov generated a number of questions. This creates the impression that some are interested in stirring up tensions and making out of a run-of-the-mill criminal event an interethnic and political one. For comments we turned to the executive director of the Russian political science centre North-South, Aleksey VLASOV

- Aleksey, how do you comment on the situation with the detention of Orxan Zeynalov, suspected culprit in the murder of Shcherbakov? Do you not think that this issue is being politicized too much?

- Indeed, there is politicization on both sides. There are many materials both in the Russian and Azerbaijani media which, in my view, should not be brought to the general discourse in this situation. Certainly, both Moscow and Baku must uphold some ethical standards. I do not think that one side is more and the other side is less guilty here. Simply, the media must be stricter when it comes to self-control.   

- As can be seen from the video suspect Orxan Zeynalov was detained as a very dangerous criminal, a terrorist. The process of detention was held in violation of international conventions, the Russian legislation, presumption of innocence and so on. On the other hand, since when is a murder suspect taken personally to the interior minister? Who do you think stood to benefit from stirring up emotions and creating a show out of a run-of-the-mill crime?

- It would have been the same if the criminal was from Central Asia, Middle East or an Afro-American. The law-enforcement bodies had to show not the ethnic identity of the detainee but the fact that they can quickly and effectively catch the presumed criminal. It seems to me that some in Azerbaijan did not understand the premise. It has to do, let me say it again, not with Azerbaijan, but with the need for the police to demonstrate how effectively our law-enforcement bodies work. Nothing more than this.  

-  Theories are put forward that such demonstrative "swiftness" of power-wielding bodies was calculated for the domestic audience, in particular to decrease the zeal of Russian nationalists?

- No, this is not so. We would be happy if all crime suspects in Russia were caught in this way. It is clear that police should work like this always and we can put a full stop here. If a person is killed, then the criminal has to be found. The calculation for nationalists, I believe, is done the last of all because people are first of all holding on to their offices. Since there is such a vast public attention to this topic - it is clear that there is need for "showmanship". This is it. The rest is conspiracy theories and I would not like to engage in them and there is no reason to… 

 - A man is killed and the suspect was arrested. What is the guilt of all other people who work on the vegetable bases closed by the city authorities? May be this is about the redistribution of business? Incidentally, Moscow Mayor Sobyanin already said that all such bases in Moscow will be closed and new logistical centres will be created in their stead…

- Well-known Russian expert Maksim Shevchenko believes that this case involves among others the factor of redistribution of property. I simply lack direct evidence for this, so may be some of our experts are more knowledgeable in this regard. I would not like to read the tea leaves. One must have specific information in order to assert anything. I do not have such information.

- Practically immediately after the incident with Zeynalov an Azerbaijani was killed in Moscow…

- I do not believe that these events are linked. I can say that not even nationalists, but to put it roughly chavs and riff-raff are present in any megacity. Now any such event is linked to the ethnic theme only because of the notorious murder of Shcherbakov. Prior to this, if you remember, the ethnic theme was stirred up when a truck driven by an Armenian hit a bust. I would like to go back to the beginning of our conversation: let us all calm down. If we want to have normal relations between our countries and peoples, then we must cover this topic with more restraint and try not to attach to it purely ethnic character and political subtext.

Incidentally, this all concerns the conversation about the role of the media in forming public opinion.

  - So you do not believe that mass deportation of migrants, including Azerbaijanis, from Russia is possible?

- Of course, when it comes to migrants, then those who suffer most of all are not Azerbaijanis, but mainly people from Central Asia who are largely disempowered. As you understand, they do not have such a strong diaspora here. Azerbaijanis know Russian better than many people from Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Hence, should somebody have the idea of sending illegal migrants back to their countries, then this will not primarily concern people from the South Caucasus. And not because somebody was bribed, as some like to say here, but simply because others have less cohesiveness and attachment to their diasporas within Russia. Therefore, I do not believe first that the deportation will take place and second that Azerbaijan will suffer from it more than other illegal migrants.   

- Can we hope that the incident in Biryulevo will not have a negative impact on relations between Baku and Moscow?

- I am certain that this incident will not reflect on relations between Baku and Moscow. If not politicians, then primarily public figures and intellectuals will call to common sense and will not add fuel to the fire. Friendly relations must not be broken over short-term episodes. This should not be allowed.

- Some people in Russia voice the idea of introducing visas with countries in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. What is the possibility of this suggestion being adopted?

 - We are now travelling to Azerbaijan not with our internal passports, but with international passports, I believe that this will continue to be the case and this mechanism will remain. As for visas, then this would poorly reflect on the idea of forming a common labour market within the Eurasian economic union. Hence, the point of view you voiced and which does exist cannot be described as dominant.