Azeri gov’t scrutinizes accident involving Russian diplomat

The Azerbaijan Foreign Ministry is scrutinizing a recent road accident involving a Russian embassy car in Baku, Deputy Foreign Minister Vagif Sadygov said Thursday.

The vehicle on October 27 ran into a taxi, killing the driver who was nearby. The driver, Elchin Gachayzada, died on the spot.

The car belonging to the diplomatic mission was speeding, police officials said. The sources did not name the driver responsible for the accident. The Interior Ministry spokesman Sadyg Gozalov dismissed allegations that Ambassador Vasili Istratov was behind the wheel.

“According to the data available to me, the person who ran over the man is not the Russian ambassador to Azerbaijan, but an employee of the diplomatic corps. The Foreign Ministry is dealing with the matter - we have to clarify a number of issues to determine if this accident indeed took place, and, if it did, what the circumstances were and how this happened. Therefore, I can’t officially say anything [at this point],” the deputy foreign minister said.

He reminded that under international law, accredited employees of diplomatic missions have immunity, which precludes holding them criminally accountable. A diplomat who commits a crime could be arraigned solely by his home country.

“If the guilt of the Russian embassy employee is confirmed, we can’t have him criminally charged, we can only ask for the Russian side’s permission for this,” Sadygov said.

He said that if it is ascertained that the diplomat ran over an Azerbaijani national, the Russian government should annul his immunity so that he could face charges, but said this was highly unlikely.

“This is rare in international practice. I don’t think Russia will do this. That is what Azerbaijan would not do either,” Sadygov said.

He added that it was possible to announce the diplomat in question persona non grata in Azerbaijan.*