Political scientist: Russia tramples not only international law but fundamental humanitarian values
Baku, June 29, AZERTAC
“It is impossible to overlook that the chauvinistic and Islamophobic crackdown on Azerbaijanis, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Turkmens, and other peoples in Russia is a direct political order. This systematic discrimination is orchestrated by the Kremlin itself, with Vladimir Putin at its helm. The logical thread running from the Tsarist system through the Soviet era to the post-Soviet period remains unchanged: the subjugation of “others” for the sake of imperial interests. The bitter paradox is that Russia, which wages a merciless war against Slavic Ukraine - a nation sharing its language and religion - has no motivation to treat non-Slavic peoples more leniently. The genocidal atrocities in Bucha and Irpin clearly demonstrate Moscow’s boundless capacity for violence,” said political expert Zuriya Garayeva in an interview with AZERTAC.
She noted that, since the collapse of the USSR, Russian chauvinism and Islamophobia have merged into a unified ideological platform. The “ethnic cleansing model” applied in Chechnya is now being replicated within Russia’s multiethnic society: “In the 1990s, ‘skinhead’ gangs unleashed on the streets were essentially a staged tool of the special services. Today, this mission is openly carried out by the police, Rosgvardiya, and OMON. The fabricated term ‘ethno-crime’ in law enforcement structures provides a legal veneer for pre-labeling other nationalities as ‘criminals,’ paving the way for repression. The brutal beating of Azerbaijani youths in Yekaterinburg, followed by killings and OMON’s harsh street raids, is a vivid example of this mechanism: repression is no longer masked but legitimized as a state ritual.”
Garayeva highlighted that the ideological wing of this campaign against Azerbaijanis is driven by the Russian Orthodox Church, whose “holy war” rhetoric from its pulpits sanctifies police violence, categorizing critics as “enemies” and formalizing their ostracism. Thus, Russia undermines its claims to humanism, turning its own people into hostages of this violent paradox.
Even during Stalin’s repressions, there was a formal process of investigation, trials, and labor camps. Today’s system does not hesitate to cross boundaries with street executions and torture. The January 20 massacre, the Khojaly genocide, the 30-year occupation of Azerbaijani lands, the downing of a Turkish plane, the denial of entry to an Azerbaijani deputy, and cyberattacks on state portals are all links in the same consistent policy chain. For Moscow, any independent stance in the region - political, religious, or cultural - is deemed a “threat,” met with force, fear, and lawlessness.
The current situation shows that Russia systematically tramples not only international law but also fundamental humanitarian values. This is a historical catastrophe for both the Kremlin and Russian society, manipulated by disorienting propaganda. For other nations, it is a stark awakening: the imperial instinct remains unchanged, only growing harsher in form.
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