Relatives of the editor-in-chief of Abzas Media reported a harsh search in an Azerbaijani prison colony.

The mother and sister of convicted Abzas Media editor-in-chief Sevinj Vagifgyzy were subjected to rough treatment by guards at the Lankaran Penitentiary Complex, where the journalist is serving her sentence. The harsh search followed reports of prisoners' rights being violated.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, Abzas Media journalists Sevinj Vagifgyzy, Nargiz Absalamova, and Elnara Gasimova were transferred from the Baku pretrial detention center to a penitentiary complex in the village of Gurumba in southern Azerbaijan, 250 kilometers from Baku. The journalists and their families consider the incarceration of the convicts in a remote colony to be a biased decision; lawyers pointed out its illegality.

On October 18, Vagifgyzy's mother and sister went to the Lenkoran District Penitentiary Complex in the village of Gurumba to visit her. "Before the meeting, we were taken to a separate room, where we were roughly searched. I asked them to treat me with care because I have a pacemaker. But my request was ignored. Then they demanded that we take off our shoes. My daughter recently had foot surgery and has difficulty taking off her shoes. "The guards did this, but they were rude to us," the journalist's mother, Ofelia Magerramova, told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

According to her, the meeting with Vagifgyzy was conducted in a breach of confidentiality. "We were only allowed to talk for an hour and a half, and a prison employee was present throughout the entire meeting. When Sevinj said her presence was interfering with our normal communication, the employee cited some order," Magerramova continued.

When leaving the prison, they were searched again. "This time, they forced my daughter to take off her shoes and even ripped open the soles, but they found nothing." "We were treated rudely again," Magerramova said.

Prison facilities are restricted access facilities, and all visitors are subject to screening, a lawyer noted on condition of anonymity.

"Everyone entering is screened and, if necessary, searched to prevent the introduction of prohibited items. However, modern scanning technologies allow for searches to be conducted without removing clothing and shoes. Exit checks are pointless. In this case, the goal was likely to prevent the journalist from taking any written notes out of the prison that could be published in the media. Vagifgyzy has repeatedly sent messages exposing negative phenomena in prisons. But this is effectively censorship," the source believes.

As a reminder, arrested Abzas Media journalists Sevinj Vagifgizi, Nargiz Absalamova, and Elnara Gasimova addressed a letter to the public in November 2024 in which they highlighted the harsh prison conditions, including the failure to provide female prisoners with food, clothing, hygiene products, and bedding funded by the state as they are legally entitled to.

As a reminder, journalists from other media outlets, including Meydan TV, Toplum TV, and Kanal-13, have also been persecuted. This can be read in the "Caucasian Knot" report "Serial Arrests of Journalists in Azerbaijan".

The number of political prisoners in Azerbaijan reached its highest point in 2024 since the country's 23-year membership in the Council of Europe, according to the "Caucasian Knot" report "Key Points to the Record Number of Political Prisoners in Azerbaijan". At the same time, the Azerbaijani authorities deny the existence of political prisoners in the country.