Shahin Shykhlinski Held in Solitary Cell Without TV or Fridge
Shahin Shykhlinski, the former leader of the Azeri diaspora, is being held in a solitary cell at the Yekaterinburg pre-trial detention center. The cell lacks a TV and refrigerator. According to a knowledgeable source, he spends all his free time studying the Criminal Code in preparation for a jury trial. During his detention, Shykhlinski has lost significant weight. In the fall of 2024, he was hospitalized due to diabetes and kidney stones, but his condition has now stabilized.
Shykhlinski is involved in a case concerning the attempted murder of Fekhruz Shirinov, which occurred in May 2010. The charges are based solely on the victim«s testimony.
According to Shirinov«s version, on the night of May 5-6, 2010, an unknown person tried to shoot him in the head at close range, but the gun misfired. The victim did not report it to the police, expecting another attack. On the evening of May 14, he noticed a man near his house whom he identified as the same attacker. Shirinov called a police patrol and, with the help of relatives, detained Elman Suleimanov. Suleimanov was convicted for illegal possession of a weapon, later left for Azerbaijan, where he died in 2013.
Shahin Shykhlinski, who is a lawyer and chairman of the bar council, insists on his innocence. He believes that Shirinov is making false accusations against him due to long-standing conflicts related to a market stall.
Shykhlinski«s lawyer, Nikita Koshakov, explained:
In 2010, the investigation did not consider the version that Suleimanov»s actions were ordered, as there was nothing in the case besides the testimony of victim Shirinov. Shirinov himself believed that Shahin Shykhlinski and the Safarov brothers had been trying to take away his market stall all this time. However, by 2010, the Safarovs had at least six restaurants in Yekaterinburg, and Shahin Shykhlinski was a lawyer and public figure who never engaged in entrepreneurship.
Koshakov also reported that a settlement agreement was approved between Shykhlinski and Shirinov, under which Shirinov acknowledged spreading false information.
The entire history of this criminal case is based on the victim«s rumors and speculation,the defender stated.
Previously, Shykhlinski and the Safarov brothers petitioned for their case to be considered by a jury. The Safarovs are also suspected of involvement in the murder of Azeri Yunus Pashayev in 2001.
Shahin Shykhlinski«s son, Mutvaly, was arrested in July 2025 for using violence against a government representative while attempting to flee in a car.
After Shykhlinski«s detention, Vidadi Mustafayev became the new leader of the diaspora, but in December 2025, he was also detained on suspicion of fraud amounting to 16 million rubles (approximately $168,400 at current rates).
