Director of the Russian press agency Tass, dismissed after a controversial visit to Azerbaijan
Russian Prime Minister Mihail Mihail, at the first deputy of the general director of the Russian State Agency Tass, according to a decree published on Thursday on the Government's website.
The document does not specify the reason for the dismissal, but the measure occurs as a result of public reactions regarding Gusman's participation in an event hosted by Azerbaijan President, after deteriorating relations with Moscow in recent months, reports Reuters.
Mihail Gusman, who supervised the international relations at TASS as the first deputy of the general manager, interviewed world leaders in his own television show and moderated a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and international press agents, according to Agerpres.
According to a statement, the general manager of Tass, Andrei Kondraşov, thanked Gusman for the 30 years of service within the Agency. He did not immediately respond to a request made by Reuters to comment on whether his dismissal was related to the Azerbaijan trip.
Earlier this month, the official caused agitation among the Russian bloggers, after participating in a forum together with Ukrainian journalists in the capital Karabah, a region that Azerbaijan regained from Armenia in 2023.
On this occasion, he praised Azerbaijan to maintain relations with a wide range of countries. Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliev told a Ukrainian journalist at the same forum that Ukrainians should never accept occupation.
Accused of espionage
Some Russian media greeted this decision, cataloging Gusman, born in Azerbaijan and a son of a doctor from the Soviet navy, as a spy Azer.
Relations between Russia and Azerbaijan, who was part of the USSR, have suddenly deteriorated after an Azer passenger plane to southern Russia collapsed last December, causing the death of 38 people on board.
Aliev said he wants Russia to publicly recognize that he had accidentally shot down the plane and punish those responsible. Moscow did not do this, although President Vladimir Putin presented Aliev for the incident.
The tensions escalated even more after two men in Azerbaijan died in the custody of Russia following their arrest in police raids as part of a crime investigation. Azerbaijan Aposta arresting Russian journalists from the state press, in an action considered as reprisal measures.
