On July 10, Azerbaijan’s Education Minister denied plans to close Russian-language school departments, while courts in Russia and Azerbaijan handled high-profile cases involving procedural appeals, Wagner Group recruits, and national security crimes.

Emin Amrullayev, the Minister of Science and Education of Azerbaijan, stated that the closure of Russian departments in Azerbaijani schools was not under consideration. During his speech, Amrullayev admitted that there is a shortage of Russian language teachers in the country’s schools. He emphasized that regardless of a student's department of study, priority must be given to mastering their native Azerbaijani language. The minister noted that since students are educated with state funding, authorities have the right to demand proficiency in Azerbaijani.

Amrullayev also underlined disparities in the qualification scores of teacher candidates, mentioning that those applying for Russian departments typically scored between 50 and 60 points, while candidates for Azerbaijani departments surpassed 80 points. He stressed that despite these discrepancies, the shortage of qualified personnel compels the ministry to hire teachers with lower scores.

Meanwhile, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court of Russia returned the appeal of Akif Safarov, who was arrested in Yekaterinburg, to the court of first instance. In its statement, the court explained that a review of the case materials identified procedural issues preventing the appeal from being examined at the appellate level. As a result, the case was removed from the appeal hearing and sent back to the Leninsky District Court of Yekaterinburg for correction.

At the same time, the Sverdlovsk Regional Court rejected a separate appeal regarding the arrest of another detainee, Ayaz Safarov. "The defendant's lawyer appealed the ruling in the Sverdlovsk Regional Court, but to no avail. It has entered into legal force," the court’s statement read.

Additionally, the Sabail District Court in Baku held a hearing for Ramil Aliyev, born in 1991, and Ismayil Hasanov, born in 1974. Their arrests are part of a criminal case investigated by Azerbaijan's State Security Service (SSS). According to case materials, the SSS identified and apprehended both individuals through operational-search measures.

The investigation established that they had committed various crimes abroad and within Azerbaijan. It alleges that while serving sentences in foreign prisons for intentional murder and other serious crimes, both men were personally recruited by Yevgeny Prigozhin, the former leader of the Wagner armed group. They then reportedly evaded their sentences and participated in multiple military operations for monetary compensation. Their alleged activities included training, combat operations involving firearms and explosives in various countries, and efforts to recruit other Azerbaijani citizens for similar activities.

The investigation into Ramil Aliyev, Ismayil Hasanov, and other related criminal acts remains ongoing. Based on the Sabail District Court’s decision, both suspects were placed in pre-trial detention for four months.