CEO involved in controversial Baku demolition released on house arrest

On Wednesday, Galib Mammadov, the head of the Melissa Group construction company, who was detained in connection with the illegal demolition of buildings in Baku, including a case where someone was inside the building, was released on house arrest.

On 27 March, Melissa Group demolished a house in Baku’s Yasamal district while a resident was still inside, who videoed the incident.

In the footage shared online, a person is seen shouting and trying to stop the excavator from inside the house. After the excavator damaged the balcony on two sides of the house, the demolition was stopped.

The video received many comments online, and several hours later, the pro-government media outlet OXU.az shared the news that the foreman and driver of the excavator of the company carrying out the demolition work had been detained.

Both were charged with intentional destruction of someone else's property, resulting in major damage to the victim.

The following day, on 28 March, Mammadov was detained in connection with the incident.

There has been no subsequent information about the criminal cases involving the foreman and the excavator driver.

The demolition of houses without permission from the owners or a court order has occurred before in Azerbaijan. In February, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) fined the Azerbaijani government approximately €1.7 million ($1.8 million) for illegally demolishing a number of properties in central Baku in 2010 in order to create a new park.

Three detained after Baku house demolished with resident still inside

Yesterday, footage circulated on social media showing the demolition of a house while its residents were still physically inside.

OC MediaAytan Farhadova