Morning scan: what’s big news in #Azerbaijan today, January 28:

● Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Russia, Rakhman Mustafayev, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, where officials expressed “concern over a series of recent anti-Russian publications in Azerbaijani media, as well as a disinformation campaign against the Russian House in Baku. The accusations were deemed completely baseless.” Recently, Azerbaijani channel BakuTV aired a report calling the Russian House in Baku a “Russian intelligence house.” More details on JAMnews today.

● A Baku court rejected the requests of several detained former Armenian leaders of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic to be placed under house arrest and partially dismiss certain charges. A new document submitted by former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Arayik Harutyunyan has been added to the case, but its content remains undisclosed. The next hearing is scheduled for February 6

● A separate hearing took place in Baku regarding former state minister of the Karabakh separatist regime, Ruben Vardanyan (pictured). His lawyer requested an additional 30 days to review case materials, but the court denied the motion. The next hearing is also set for February 6. At the first session on January 17, the court granted a 10-day extension for case review at the defense’s request.

● Former Russian judge Elena Khakhaleva was detained in Baku while attempting to fly to Dubai. She is wanted in Russia on charges of fraud and forgery. Authorities in Baku are now awaiting documents from Moscow to decide on her extradition. Khakhaleva, a former judge from Krasnodar, gained notoriety for organizing a $2 million wedding for her daughter and was previously accused of lacking a law degree. However, Tbilisi State University later confirmed the authenticity of her diploma.

● The first shipment of oil from Kazakhstan’s Kashagan oil field has been sent to Baku. A Kazakh tanker departed from the port of Aktau, and the oil will be transported via the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline to the Mediterranean Sea.