Over 20 people die from medical alcohol poisoning in Baku within week

20 people die from alcohol poisoning in Baku

Over the past week, more than 20 people have died from poisoning caused by industrial alcohol in Baku’s Sabail, Surakhani, and Sabunchu districts. Prosecutors have launched a criminal case over the incident. A businessman who produced the medical alcohol suspected of causing the poisoning has been arrested. Some lawyers argue that the victims themselves were irresponsible and that the businessman’s arrest was unlawful, while others insist the arrest was fully justified. Economist Natig Jafarli believes such dangerous incidents were inevitable due to the sharp rise in alcohol prices.

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The last recorded death from alcohol poisoning occurred on 26 February in the Sabail district of Baku. Two people died—Z. Aliyev, born in 1970, and S. Samedov, born in 1982.

It remains unclear what type of alcohol they consumed. The Sabail district prosecutor’s office is investigating the case.

On 23 February, the body of Asif Akshurin, born in 1964, was found in a residential building in the Amirjan settlement of the Surakhani district. It was determined that he had also died from alcohol poisoning. According to available information, Akshurin had been drinking alcohol at a friend’s house the day before.

On 22 February, after a party attended by Akshurin, the bodies of four more people were discovered. It is suspected that they also consumed industrial alcohol.

Additionally, on 22–23 February, a mass poisoning from industrial alcohol occurred in the Sabunchu district of Baku, resulting in 15 deaths.

A criminal case has been opened by the Sabunchu district prosecutor’s office, and a preliminary investigation is underway.

According to the prosecutor’s office, most of those who died from consuming industrial alcohol were individuals leading a reckless lifestyle and suffering from alcoholism.

It was also established that the seized Starlux antiseptic products found at the scenes were packaged under the supervision of businessman Sabukhi Khanguseynov, who operated in the Buzovna settlement of Baku’s Khazar district.

Khanguseynov has been charged under Articles 200.4 (consumer fraud, production, and sale of substandard goods) and 314.3 (negligence resulting in the death of two or more people) of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code. He has been remanded in custody as a preventive measure.

Reports indicate that a month ago, in January 2025, Khanguseynov was fined 5,000 manats (around $3,000) for consumer fraud or the production and sale of low-quality products. His production facility was inspected and sealed.

“The hygiene and ethanol-based products found at the scene were sampled, and laboratory tests revealed the presence of methanol in the hygiene product (alcohol), posing a serious threat to human life and health,” the prosecutor’s office stated.

The chairman of the Republican Alternative Party, economist Natig Jafarli, recalls that two years ago, he warned about the dangers of rising alcohol prices:

“At the time, I said that as prices for officially produced alcoholic beverages sharply increase, the market will be flooded with homemade products, which pose a serious risk to people’s lives. I warned that this could eventually lead to poisoning and even death. Governments need to be very careful. If prices continue to rise rapidly—every year or even every 6–7 months—this could create situations that seriously endanger public health.

Over the past week, around 20 of our citizens have died from poisoning with medical alcohol.

News has spread that the manufacturer of the product responsible for the poisoning has been arrested. I don’t know the exact legal grounds for his arrest, but he did not produce the product for drinking. If someone is foolish enough to drink it, what can a businessman do about that?!

Alright, let’s say the businessman is to blame. But isn’t the government also responsible for driving up prices by repeatedly increasing taxes and excise duties over the past five years, forcing people to buy fake, unsafe drinks?” Jafarli asks.

Lawyer Agil Laij also considers the businessman’s arrest unlawful.

“The media reported that several people in the capital died from alcohol poisoning. Some of them led chaotic lifestyles, and all suffered from alcoholism. These individuals purchased and consumed industrial alcohol, which is used for hygiene, disinfection, and antiseptic purposes, and died as a result.

However, the investigation charged the manufacturer with deceiving consumers and causing their deaths, even though the packaging clearly stated that the product was not for drinking and contained hygienic alcohol.

Despite this, the Sabunchu court sentenced the businessman to three months in detention. I swear to God, something like this wouldn’t happen even in the jungle,”* the lawyer said.

According to another lawyer, Samed Vekilov, there is nothing unlawful about the businessman’s arrest, as medical alcohol cannot be made from methanol. He emphasizes that methanol is toxic and can only be used in industrial applications:

“The manufacturer used a prohibited alcohol (methanol), which ultimately led to mass fatalities. Article 314.3 of Azerbaijan’s Criminal Code provides for liability for causing death through negligence. Therefore, pre-trial detention under this article is justified.”

Vekilov adds that if the manufacturer had used legally permitted alcohols—ethanol or isopropanol—and this had resulted in deaths, he would not have faced any liability:

“Manufacturers must not act irresponsibly under any circumstances. Particular attention should be paid to the composition of hygiene products. Just because something is not meant for internal consumption does not mean it poses no risks. Production standards must never be violated.”