Azerbaijan

Ahmed Alizade, the eldest son of Azerbaijani MP Arzukhan Alizade, was detained after a mass brawl in a restaurant.

Ahmed Alizade, the eldest son of Azerbaijani MP Arzukhan Alizade, was detained after a mass brawl in a restaurant, in which one person died. The Nizami District Court has reportedly placed Alizade in pre-trial detention. He is not currently accused of any direct involvement in the death.

According to pro-government outlet Apa, the incident took place on Friday at a restaurant in Baku’s Khatai district, resulting in the death of 43-year-old Jeyhun Miraghayev from stab wounds.

The Prosecutor General’s Office and the Interior Ministry has detained 11 people accused of involvement in the brawl: Ramil Dadashov, Eldar Eldarov, Elmar Nuriyev, Ismayil Kazimov, Hasan Zulfugarov, Farid Ayyublu and Khayyam Safikhanov, Mikayil Ismayilov, Kamran Afandiyev, Elvin Safarov, Elmar Jafarov, Emin Rahimov,  and Ahmed Alizade.

Reportedly, Alizade was charged under six articles of the Criminal Code, including participation in a criminal community or criminal organization and illegal drug trafficking.

Due to the recusal of the judges of the Khatai District Court, the case was sent to the Baku Court of Appeal.

The reason for the recusal of the judges of the Khatai court was that the brother of Ahmed Alizade — Orhan Alizade — is a judge serving at the court.

Alizade’s  father, Arzukhan Alizade, is the chairman of the Azerbaijani National Independence Party. He has been leading the AMIP since 2015. while his brother is a judge, Oxu.az reported.

While the outlet has speculated over whether Alizade’s father and brother could lose their positions as a result of Alizade’s arrest, under Azerbaijani law an individual’s crime cannot be a basis for a parent or brother to lose their mandate as a judge.