“Casting Out Demons:” Mentally Ill Man Killed In Azerbaijan

The six suspects in the case of the murder of 25-year-old Murad Soltanov in Shabran, Azerbaijan. Photo credit: press service of the Azerbaijani Interior Ministry

Murad Soltanov, a mentally ill 25-year old Baku native, was found dead on November 13 in a rented apartment in Shabran, Azerbaijan.

This was reported by the Berlin-based Azerbaijani media organization Meydan.TV.

Authorities detained six suspects who claim they were “casting out demons” during the assault. Police say the attackers were using methods widely considered to be traditional cultural medicine in Azerbaijan, such as beating a person with garnet sticks to expel “evil forces.”

The suspects say that Soltanov died within 40 minutes of being beaten.

Soltanov had previously received similar treatments in Baku and was facing deteriorating mental health, according to police.