150 stranded Azerbaijanis to return home from Russia

MOSCOW – More than 150 Azerbaijani citizens stranded in Russia amid the coronavirus pandemic will be able to return home on Tuesday, Azerbaijani officials said.

Earlier on Tuesday some 400 Azerbaijani nationals stranded in a make-shift camp near the border in Russia’s North Caucasus republic of Dagestan blocked a highway to protest the way their evacuation is organized.

The crowd clashed with police and border guards, injuring several officers. Some 90 protesters were brought to local police stations.

Commenting on the incident, a presidential aide in Azerbaijan confirmed that more than 150 Azerbaijani nationals will be able to return home on Tuesday. Khikmet Gadzhiev reiterated that the border between the two ex-Soviet states opens once a week to let stranded Azerbaijani citizens back into their country.

Azerbaijani authorities will also organize a flight between Moscow and Baku, the country’s capital, to evacuate more people, Gadzhiev said. “We urge our citizens to show understanding of the current situation,” he added.

Russia closed its borders in late March in the wake of the virus outbreak, halting flights, trains and shutting down checkpoints along its land border.

Russia has partial reopened its borders earlier this month, allowing its citizens to travel abroad for work, study, receiving medical treatment or taking care of relatives. Foreigners can fly in for medical treatment or to take care of family members.