Azerbaijani official elected mayor of Derbent

Lawmakers in Russia’s southern city of Derbent have unanimously elected Hanlar Pashabekov, an ethnic Azerbaijani, as the city’s new mayor, the municipality said on Tuesday.

Pashabekov previously served as Dagestan’s justice minister and headed the region’s property management agency. He had been acting mayor since April 2025.

Born in Derbent, the 48-year-old holds degrees in finance and law, and has worked as a notary, judge, and prosecutor in the republic.