The human rights activist reported on the torture of believing prisoners in Azerbaijan.

Believing prisoners in Azerbaijani colony No. 17, who went on hunger strike due to the ban on hijabs in schools, were subjected to torture, said human rights activist Arzu Abdulla. According to her, participants in the action were beaten to unconsciousness in the punishment cell and threatened with an extension of their sentences by eight years.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", by October 30, mass protests against the ban on wearing hijabs in schools had ceased in Azerbaijan, but discontent is expressed in the form of individual actions near school buildings. According to activists and human rights defenders, participants in the protests and their relatives face detentions, police summons, and other forms of pressure.

Believing prisoners of correctional institution No. 17 were tortured after they declared a hunger strike in protest against the ban on wearing hijabs in schools in Azerbaijan, said human rights activist Arzu Abdulla in a post on her Facebook page.

According to Abdulla, about 60 believing prisoners of institution No. 17 began their hunger strike on October 13-15. Due to their refusal to stop, some were placed in the punishment cell.

“It all started with the ban on wearing hijabs in Azerbaijan. In correctional institution No. 17, about 60 believing prisoners declared a hunger strike on October 13-15. Although the Penitentiary Service immediately demanded to stop the action, the believers, having previously notified the head of the institution with written statements, continued it in an orderly manner. Some of the protesters were placed in the disciplinary isolation unit,” Abdulla wrote.

According to her, on October 21, the prisoners began to be subjected to torture. They were also threatened with an extension of their sentences by eight years if they conveyed information about what was happening outside the colony.

“Perhaps the head of the Penitentiary Service did not know about this threat. However, the head of correctional institution No. 17 and his deputies threatened the prisoners who were subjected to torture in this way. Moreover, during phone calls and visits through glass with relatives, supervision staff were constantly present next to the prisoners. At the same time, they were banned from regular visits until January 2027, apparently to ensure that by that time the traces of violence would disappear,” the human rights activist noted.

Information about the torture became public thanks to some colony staff and other prisoners who wished to remain anonymous. “Colony staff who were not indifferent to what was happening asked not to disclose their names. Together with other prisoners who witnessed what happened, they helped to publicize information about the torture,” the publication states.

Abdulla claims that primarily those who participated in the hunger strike and were in the punishment cell were subjected to beatings. According to her, the so-called special brigade that engaged in beating prisoners included the head of the colony Shafaat Abbasov, his deputies Samit Gafarov, Emin Eminaliev, and Vugar Ismihanly, Gafarov's deputy named Tural, the deputy head of the Penitentiary Service named Anar, as well as the bodyguard of the deputy head of the agency, Fikret Gafarov, who was introduced to the prisoners as “stunning Barata.”

As Abdulla notes, the staff who beat the prisoners claimed they were acting on the orders of the former head of the Penitentiary Service Mirsaleh Seyidov and the deputy head of the agency Fikret Gafarov. On October 28, the President of Azerbaijan appointed Sahib Rzaev as the new head of the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice.

Citing an unnamed colony staff member, the human rights activist reported that on October 21, 20 hunger strike participants were taken one by one from the punishment cell to different rooms and beaten to unconsciousness. “The first deputy head of the colony Emin Eminaliev attacked one of the believers right in the punishment cell while he was praying. When the prisoner stopped raising his head, at Eminaliev's command, they lifted his head and saw that he had lost consciousness and was bleeding from his mouth,” Abdulla writes.

According to her information, later the believers, who by that time had been on hunger strike for a week, were beaten in the head of the colony's office: their arms were twisted behind their backs while punches were delivered to both ears. Several prisoners, the human rights activist claims, bled from their mouths and ears, and foam came from their mouths.

“According to another staff member, a representative of the Penitentiary Service named Anar knocked one of the believers to the floor, stood on him, and began to stomp on him. The prisoner lost consciousness, and blood flowed from his nose and mouth. Learning that another prisoner had lung problems, he was also knocked face down and stomped on the back for a long time. He lost consciousness, and they could not bring him to his senses for a long time,” Abdulla reports.

The human rights activist also stated that prisoners were required to record video appeals in which they had to report the voluntary cessation of their hunger strike and the absence of beatings. According to her, if they refused, they were threatened with rape. “According to another staff member, some prisoners were filmed under the threat of rape, forcing them to say that they voluntarily stopped the hunger strike and were not subjected to any violence,” the publication states.

Families of the convicted demand a response from the ombudsman

According to Abdulla, the most severe beatings were inflicted on members of the "Muslim Unity" movement Tural Veliev, Ibrahim Muradov, resident of Sabirabad Asad Agashov, resident of Mehdiabad Aydin Guseinzade, resident of Agdash Galib Bandaliev, and resident of Lankaran Mahmudaga Agaev.

Abdulla also reported that the relatives of the prisoners unsuccessfully tried to get visits to correctional institution No. 17 from the staff of the ombudsman's office. “Every time, families receive the same response: 'We will visit,' but when exactly is unknown,” the human rights activist writes.

According to her, relatives have repeatedly sent complaints about alleged violations of prisoners' rights and facts of torture to the Ministry of Justice, the Penitentiary Service, and the Ombudsman’s Office. However, Abdulla claims, none of the agencies inquired about the condition of the prisoners or responded to the families' appeals. “The saddest thing is that the new leadership of the Penitentiary Service continues to remain silent and show indifference to the events that have occurred and the ongoing violation of the rights of torture victims,” she notes.

According to Abdulla, correctional institution No. 17 has gained notoriety since 2022 for housing about 90% of believing Shiites arrested on charges of possession or distribution of drugs, which the human rights activist considers fabricated.

The cause of numerous violations of prisoners' rights, she cites unsatisfactory conditions of detention. According to her, the colony is located in an unsuitable building for housing people, which was used as a production facility during the Soviet period.

Abdulla claims that prisoners have to arrange their own living spaces at their own expense, while the funds allocated by the state are appropriated by the institution's management.

“Those who protest against arbitrariness are placed in the punishment cell, tortured, restricted in visits, packages, and phone calls, or transferred to another prison – most often to the Umbaqi Penitentiary Complex, where strict conditions of detention are established. But that's not all. Prisoners protesting against injustice and bribery are left without food and water for several days in the scorching sun in summer and in snow and rain in winter in an open area designated for walks. Relatives of prisoners are forced to wait for hours at the gates of the institution, often being denied visits and package receptions,” writes the human rights activist.

Human rights defenders speak of pressure on the relatives of prisoners

According to her, violence was also applied in other correctional institutions to believers who declared a hunger strike against the ban on wearing hijabs in schools. Abdulla also reported on the continuation of hunger strikes in other colonies.

“The political prisoner believer Elman Sheidaev, held in correctional institution No. 6, continues his hunger strike, which began on October 16 in protest against the ban on wearing hijabs [in schools]. He was first placed in the punishment cell and then transferred to correctional institution No. 10. Currently, Elman Sheidaev continues his hunger strike in the punishment cell of institution No. 10. In correctional institution No. 1, political prisoner believer Yaver Ismailzade stopped his hunger strike two days ago, which he began on October 14. In the Umbaqi Penitentiary Complex, believing prisoners who joined the protest against the ban on wearing hijabs also stopped their hunger strike,” the publication states.

In the publication, Abdulla tagged the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan and the Ombudsman’s Office, expressing readiness to also publish the position of the opposing side. In a conversation with a correspondent of “Caucasian Knot,” the human rights activist added that the relatives of the prisoners fear to publicly talk about the alleged torture due to threats of extending their loved ones' sentences by eight years.

“Some prisoners have only six months or a year left to serve, and their relatives fear that public statements may further worsen the situation of their loved ones,” Abdulla said. The activist noted that as a result of torture and pressure in correctional institution No. 17, the hunger strike was terminated.

The head of the Political Prisoners Monitoring Center Elshan Gasanov informed the correspondent of “Caucasian Knot” that he also receives information about pressure on believers in the colonies. At the same time, he noted that documenting cases of physical pressure on prisoners in the colonies, as well as new facts of arrests for protests regarding the school dress code, is difficult.

“Families of prisoners are under pressure. People fear that other family members may also be arrested,” Gasanov said.

“Caucasian Knot” currently does not have comments from representatives of the Penitentiary Service, the Ministry of Justice, and the Ombudsman’s Office of Azerbaijan regarding the statements about torture in colony No. 17, but is ready to publish their position.