The court reduced the sentences for those convicted in the case of the deaths of 10 people in the explosion in Baku.
The Baku Court of Appeal has reduced by six months the prison sentences of Tagi Ibrahimov and Togrul Rzayev, who were found guilty in the case of the explosion at a furniture workshop in the Binagadi district of Baku, which killed 10 people and injured 23.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on January 15, 2024, an explosion and fire occurred at a furniture workshop on Abay Kunanbayev Street in the Binagadi district of Baku. The bodies of nine victims were found at the site of the explosion, and another 24 people suffered injuries and burns. On the evening of January 16, the Ministry of Emergency Situations announced that search and rescue operations had been completed. On January 20, Adil Rustamov died in the hospital. He became the tenth person killed in the explosion at a furniture factory in Baku. Of the 24 injured, one received medical assistance at the scene, and 23 were hospitalized, including those with burns and fractures. Three more people were found alive under the rubble. The Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case under Articles 225.3 (violation of fire safety regulations, resulting in the death of two or more persons through negligence) and 314.3 (negligence, resulting in the death of two or more persons through negligence) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. The owner of the furniture workshop was accused of negligence, and the manager of failing to comply with fire safety regulations.
The decision to reduce the sentence was made by the Baku Court of Appeal at a hearing chaired by Judge Murad Mammadov, according to Report.
According to the charges, Taghi Ibrahimov and Togrul Rzayev caused material damage to property located on the premises of the JSC, as well as to the environment. Furthermore, Ibrahimov evaded taxes on an especially large scale.
Ibrahimov was found guilty under Articles 213.3 (tax evasion on an especially large scale) and 225.3 (violation of fire safety regulations, resulting in the death of two or more persons through negligence) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. Rzayev was held accountable under Article 225.3 of the same code. The Baku Grave Crimes Court sentenced both defendants to six years in prison.
Ultimately, the appellate court reduced the sentences to five years and six months.
The "Caucasian Knot" also reported that in late November 2025, a Baku court ordered the arrest of a clinic director suspected of violating fire safety regulations. The fire killed three people, and another 25 required medical attention.