One of the victims of the explosion that took place three years ago in the center of Baku at The Location nightclub — Ayxan Fatullazade, born in 2001 — has become the subject of a new court case. His family has demanded compensation for moral damages, filing an official claim with the court.

According to Bizimyol.info, the parents of the late Ayxan Fatullazade submitted a lawsuit seeking 99,000 manats in compensation for the moral harm they suffered.

The explosion and subsequent fire at The Location nightclub claimed four lives and injured 33 people. Additionally, 14 cars, one apartment, and two commercial properties in the surrounding area sustained damage. Following the incident, three people were arrested: Rasul Rasulov, administrator of Merser Food LLC, the company that leased the club; Orkhan Safarov, founder of the company and the club’s manager; and Ruslan Mammadov, an inspector of the State Fire Control Service under the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

The individuals were charged under Articles 225.2 (violation of fire safety rules resulting in death or other serious consequences through negligence) and 314.2 (negligence resulting in death or other serious consequences) of the Criminal Code.

The Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced Rasul Rasulov to five years of imprisonment and Orkhan Safarov to four years, both to be served in a semi-open correctional facility. Ruslan Mammadov received a suspended sentence with a probationary period.

At the time of the verdict, it was announced that damages caused by Orkhan Safarov had been fully compensated. Moreover, the victims had submitted written statements declaring they had no further complaints or claims against the defendants. Ayxan Fatullazade’s father had also been questioned during that trial as his son’s legal heir.

In the latest proceedings, the family explained that Ayxan had been a fourth-year student at the University of Architecture and Construction when the tragedy occurred. Due to financial need, he had worked as a waiter in various places. From March 18, 2022, until the explosion on April 3, he had been working at The Location nightclub for a daily wage of 15 manats.

“At around 4 a.m. on April 3, I received a call,” his father recounted in court. “A young man introduced himself as Ayxan’s colleague and told me there had been an explosion, that Ayxan was injured and taken to Hospital No. 5. In the morning, I spoke with Ayxan at the hospital. He told me the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder. A week later, on April 10, Ayxan passed away at Medera Hospital.”

The grieving father added that more than three years had passed since the death of his first child, yet the family had still not been able to recover:

“This loss is beyond words. Ayxan was hardworking, diligent, and full of dreams for the future. He was the family’s hope and source of pride.”

Despite the family’s claim, the court rejected the demand for 99,000 manats in compensation for moral damages. The judge based the decision on the fact that during the original criminal trial at the Baku Court of Grave Crimes, Ayxan’s father — as the legal heir of the deceased — had declared reconciliation with the defendants. He had formally withdrawn all complaints and demands against them through a notarized statement dated May 6, 2022, which was taken into account in the final verdict.

“As the case materials show, since the claimant reconciled with the accused in the criminal proceedings, there is no new legal basis to pursue the current lawsuit,” the judge noted in the ruling.

Aytən, Bizimyol.info