Two Azerbaijani nationals jailed for up to 14 years over 2013 murder in Russia

A court in Baku has sentenced two Azerbaijani nationals to 13 and 14 years in prison for the rape and murder of a young woman in Russia in 2013.

At a hearing chaired by Judge Eldar Ismayilov, S.M., born in 1983, was sentenced to 13 years in prison, while E.X., born in 1984, received a 14-year sentence. Both will serve their terms in a high-security correctional facility.

The crime took place on June 25, 2013, in the city of Bavly in Russia’s Republic of Tatarstan. According to the case, the defendants, who worked in construction, invited a 20-year-old Russian woman to the building where they were staying, raped her and then killed her in an attempt to conceal the crime.

The woman’s body was buried in the building’s courtyard. The defendants subsequently left Russia and travelled to Azerbaijan. Russian law enforcement agencies investigated the woman’s disappearance but were unable at the time to locate her body or identify the suspects.

The case was reopened following an operation conducted by Azerbaijan’s Main Directorate for Combating Organised Crime in November 2024. Information provided by the detained suspects led investigators to the burial site.

At Azerbaijan’s request, investigators from Russia’s Investigative Committee excavated the courtyard of an old building in Bavly and found skeletal remains and fragments of clothing.

Forensic examinations and DNA analysis helped establish the victim’s identity and prove the crime.

At trial, one of the defendants partially admitted the charges. The other said he had been subjected to pressure during the preliminary investigation and denied involvement in the crime. Based on the evidence collected, the court found both defendants guilty of rape committed by a group acting in prior agreement and intentional murder carried out to conceal the crime.

Gulnar Nazimqizi