Shahbaz, born in 1984 in the Sabunchu district of Baku, killed his cousin Mukhtar (names withheld – ed.), born in 1988, during a dispute over jealousy.
According to information obtained by Telegraf.com, Shahbaz had a love affair between his wife Vasila and his colleague Sabir, as well as the presence of their intimate images on Mukhtar, and after learning that Mukhtar had spread embarrassing information about Vasila, he had many conversations with her since February 2023.
Despite Shahbaz’s request to provide the images confirming his wife’s infidelity, or to put an end to this rumour, his cousin has avoided producing the images, giving different excuses each time. During the period between February 2023 and April of the same year, he secretly followed his wife and discovered that his cousin had slandered him after making sure that she was not cheating on him.
Shahbaz took Mukhtar’s actions as an insult towards him and, enraged, decided to kill him in revenge. On October 5, 2023, he returned to Baku from the city of Makhachkala, where he worked. On October 12, he went to the market in the Bakikhanov settlement, where Mukhtar worked. Not finding Mukhtar there, he returned to the store the next day, October 13, at around 12 o’clock.
He chased him out of the shop on the pretext of talking to Mukhtar and drinking tea together. He made comments about the dead end near the shop where people cannot see him, and once again put an end to the defamatory rumour he spread about his wife.
Taking out the knife he was holding, he hit Mukhtar with a total of 16 blows on different parts of his body. Mukhtar died from his injuries.
“Our relations have always been good”
The investigative body announced a charge against Shahbaz under section 120.2.4 of the Criminal Code (homicide with a particularly cruel or dangerous method).
Shahbaz, who testified as a defendant in the criminal case, pleaded guilty to the charge against him.
He said that he and his wife Vasila started a family in 2008, and from their joint marriage 3 daughters were born: “I worked as a foreman at various construction sites. Since about 2021, I left for the city of Makhachkala in the Russian Federation and worked there as a foreman at construction sites. I did not live there, but after working for several months I returned to Baku.
My wife Vasila worked as a saleswoman in the Eastern Sweets store in the Bakikhanov settlement. Our relationship with Vasila has always been good.
“He said he made his video”
The defendant claimed that he returned to Baku from Russia in February 2023: “On the exact date, I don’t remember, my father Said called me and invited me to the house where my brothers were renting. During the conversation, my father told me that Vasile had betrayed me, so I should divorce him. I asked him why he said that. He said that my cousin Mukhtar had informed me about this.
My father even said that Vasile had taken photos and videos of Mukhtar with his phone when he was supposedly meeting someone. I told my father that I would take care of this matter. On the morning of the conversation, I went to the market where Mukhtar worked, asked him if my wife was seeing someone, and asked him to let me know if there were any photos or videos.
Mukhtar said that he had seen, photographed and recorded the video of Vasile when she was meeting another boy, even kissing. But he could not show any images or videos. Because his phone was allegedly stolen. Later I found out that Mukhtar bought a new phone in my brother’s name. That’s why I understood that Mukhtar was making an excuse.”
“I followed my wife, but I found no evidence”
The accused said that that afternoon he called his wife Vasila and his cousin Mukhtar to the house where his brother lived and there he confronted them:
“During the confrontation, Mukhtar said that my wife was dating another guy, but he couldn’t say that he had kissed. I felt that Mukhtar was lying in his conversation. I asked my wife why Mukhtar said that. She said that she and her colleague met once near the “Sahram” market and paid off the debt. That guy Mukhtar saw us and understood that we had other relationships.
After this conversation, I followed my wife Vasila from February to April 2023. However, I did not find any suspicious moments in Vasila’s actions. Moreover, although I repeatedly asked Mukhtar to show me photos and videos of my wife dating someone, my cousin made various excuses. He could not show me any photos or videos. But he said that he will find the photos and videos and show them.
“It gave me confidence”
According to Shahbaz, he left for work in the city of Makhachkala in April 2023: “I called Mukhtar on WhatsApp in Makhachkala and asked him why he was not sending me photos and videos about my wife. During the phone conversation, he said: ‘Come to Baku, let’s talk,'” he used the expression.
I asked Mukhtar that if he could not prove to me that my wife spoke to someone, why is he spreading such words about my family? After these words, Mukhtar hung up the call. After that phone call, I was convinced that my cousin was lying.
As Mukhtar spread false rumors about my wife and I felt ashamed among my relatives, after returning from Makhachgala city to Baku, I decided to stab him with a knife to punish him.
Shahbaz noted that he returned to Baku on October 5 because he had finished his work and to see his family: “While still in the city of Makhachkala, I decided to injure Mukhtar with a knife, so I went to the “Bakikhanov” shopping center on October 12 at around 1 p.m.
“I bought a kitchen knife there for 1 manat and 60 kopecks, went to the market where Mukhtar worked to call him and talk to him, and injured him by stabbing him in the leg. However, I couldn’t find Mukhtar at the market, so I returned home.”
“I got angry at these words and took out the knife”
Shahbaz said he put the knife he bought on October 13 in his pocket and returned to the market where Mukhtar worked: “I called him to leave the market. After talking, we reached the car wash station and entered a dead end. I still received photos and videos of my wife Vasila from my cousin. I asked him why he didn’t give them to me.
Mukhtar repeated the same words, saying that the phone with those pictures and videos was stolen. I understood that he was making an excuse and wanted to hurt him with a knife in front of the nearby toilet. I had no intention of killing Mukhtar. However, when he crossed the dead end behind the car wash and headed towards the toilet, Mukhtar said to me, “Are you talking to me about whores?”
I got angry at these words and took out the kitchen knife that I kept in the left pocket of my jacket and hit Mukhtar on several parts of his body.
When I wounded Mukhtar, he screamed and tried to run away. I did not let him escape and continued to inflict successive wounds with the knife. Mukhtar fell to the ground covered in blood.
I called the 102 service of the Ministry of the Interior, said that I had stabbed a person and showed the scene. Then I went out to the road, a few minutes later I saw a police car arrive and I took them to the scene. Mukhtar was put in an ambulance and I was taken to the police station.
I did not suffer from any mental illness. However, after learning about the shameful and false information that Mukhtar had spread about Vasila, I had a series of disturbances in my nerves.”
“I wasn’t meeting him, I was receiving the money I lent him”
According to Vasile, who testified as a witness in the case, his colleague Sabir worked with him in the shop: “Sabir borrowed money from me for 42 manats. I don’t remember the date, but after about 3 or 4 days, when he left work, when he returned the money he had lent me, my friend’s cousin Mukhtar saw us.
He misunderstood us, he thought I was meeting Sabir. Then he went and called his brother-in-law to tell him that his daughter-in-law is dating another man.
When I received the money from my colleague, my cousin came to us and started slandering me. She allegedly said that she took a photo of me there and recorded me on video. I wanted to make Mukhtar understand that his ideas are wrong, I told him that he was lying. Mukhtar constantly beat and insulted Sabir.
Sabir did not pay the debt at work because he had to withdraw the money from an ATM outside. At that time my husband Shahbaz was not in Azerbaijan. After that, Mukhtar followed me and followed me many times when I left work.
We met the deceased with Shahbaz regarding this rumour. Mukhtar said that he would prove that I was walking with Sabir and that he had the proof.”
“We were sitting in the park when…”
According to Sabir, who testified as a witness in the case, from about May 2022 to the end of November 2022, the driver worked in a candy store in the Bakikhanov settlement: “I met Vasila as a co-worker as a saleswoman in a candy store. Any strange relationship with him, even that I was not in a love relationship.
Around October 2022, I borrowed 40 manats from Vasila because she had no money. In early November, while I was in a cafe, she called Vasil and informed him that our salary had changed. I understood that she called to return the loan I received. I told her that I would withdraw the money from her salary card and pay off the debt. Vasila left work, slowly went to the “Mujuze” market, brought the money and asked me to present it in that area.
As I approached the area, she said, I called Vasila. Vasila said that her brothers-in-law worked at the store and it was a shame for them to see us together, so she was waiting for me near the park-like place, next to the bank.
I took money from his card and walked over to the bench where Vasil was sitting. I sat down next to him, when I took the money out of my pocket and gave it to him, the person, whose name I later learned was Mukhtar, came up to us and asked what we were doing.
Vasila said that Mukhtar’s husband is Shahbaz’s cousin. I told her that I came here to return the money I received from Vasila a few days ago and that there is no relation between us.”
According to Sabir, Musa and Vali, who he knew to be Shahbaz’s brothers, also came to them: “I told them what I told Mukhtar. Mukhtar suddenly hit me in the face. I fell to the ground and lost consciousness. When I regained consciousness a few seconds later, I was lying on the ground, I saw my clothes covered in dust.
Vasila also repeated the same words with me, saying that there is no love relationship between us. At that time Musa and Vali stood still. Mukhtar insisted on his opinion and even said that we have shared pictures. No matter how much we asked him for such pictures, he did not provide us with any.
“He said he saw us together many times”
According to Sabir, Mukhtar said that they would go to the sweet shop together and that he would apologize if it was discovered that he and Vasila actually worked there.
Despite this, Mukhtar did not change his mind, he said that I am in a loving relationship with Vasila, he even saw us together many times. Mukhtar started beating me in the presence of my colleagues. I fainted again. When I woke up, I found myself inside a candy store.
“In the evening I went to the hospital for emergency medical help because I felt unwell. From there the police were informed.”
“He apologized to me”
Sabiq noted that the next day, Shahbaz’s brothers Musa and Vali, as well as Mukhtar, were brought to the unit: “At the unit, I told that there was no relationship between me and Vasila. Later, Shahbaz’s father Said also came to the unit. I also informed him about the incident at the unit, and Vasila and I had no relationship. I explained to him that there was no love relationship. Said asked me not to complain, that it was a misunderstanding.
After that, I withdrew my complaint and asked for the investigation to be stopped. Mukhtar apologized to me. After that day, I never saw or spoke to Mukhtar again.”
The criminal case was heard in the Baku Court of Serious Crimes. According to the court’s verdict, Shahbaz was sentenced to 17 years in prison.
It was determined that he will serve his sentence in a strict-regime penitentiary.
