Penitentiary Service Ignores Enquiry of Human Rights Defenders

Chaired by Sharafat Mamedov, the Baku Administrative Economic Court of N 1, held a meeting to prepare for the lawsuit filed by the Public Alliance "Azerbaijan has no political prisoners" against the Penitentiary Service. The lawsuit was initiated after the Penitentiary Service failed to respond to information requests from the alliance.

During the meeting, a representative for the deputy head of the Penitentiary Service, Huseyn Alikhanov, submitted a letter asking that the suit be dismissed. Oktay Gulaliyev, coordinator of the alliance, advised Turan of this step. The Penitentiary Service claimed that confidentiality guidelines prevented them from releasing the requested information. Gulaliyev does not accept this position. 

For example, a request was filed for the purpose of preparing the annual report on the conditions in places of detention and the rights of detainees and prisoners. The Alliance appealed to the leadership of the Prison Service to allow monitoring in penitentiaries. However, the request was ignored.

"Information on the budget expenditures for the maintenance of prisoners is significant information and is subject to disclosure. On the other hand, data on the number of prisons and prisoners are submitted to the Council of Europe, and there is no sense to hide them from their own citizens," said Gulaliyev.

The judge scheduled a hearing on the merits of the appeal at 11:00 on August 15.

The Alliance requested answers to the following questions: 

- How many prisons are run by the Ministry of Justice and the prison service?

- What is the technical condition of these institutions, as new institutions in the regions?

- How many people are in jails to serve their sentences?

- Why are human rights defenders not allowed to visit the places of detention?

- How much money was allocated from the state budget in 2011-2012 for the improvement of nutrition, health care and social issues of prisoners?

-  How much money is spent from the state budget per prisoner?

-  How many people died in 2012 in prison?

-  How many prisoners were sent for treatment to the Medical Establishment Ministry of Justice?

-  What illness do prisoners experience?

The Alliance "Azerbaijan without political prisoners" was established in August 2012 by a group of former political prisoners and “prisoners of conscience.”—06B-