Ulvi Hasanly Again Speaks  About Corruption and Torture in Penitentiary Institutions

Ulvi Gasanly, the director of the online publication “Abzas Media”, who is being held in Baku's Detention Center No. 1, has published a new article on the site about numerous violations and instances of inhumane treatment within the penitentiary institution. According to Hasanly, the leadership of the Penitentiary Service and Baku Detention Center No. 1 are focused on pressuring journalists and other political prisoners.

He reports on the "systemic torture" happening in all penitentiary institutions. "The torture I wrote about in my previous article (on the 1st floor of the 8th block) has stopped. However, this practice has been moved to the 7th block. We have repeatedly heard the screams of prisoners tortured to exhaustion. Torture continues in the women's block as well," Hasanlywrites. The journalist claims that when prisoners demand their rights, they are threatened, beaten, and placed in solitary confinement, including women. 

Another serious issue highlighted by Hasanlyis "corruption and bribery." He explains that during searches, authorities determine how much money a detainee has, and most of it is taken away. The detainee is then sent to "quarantine," where any remaining money is confiscated under the pretext that "you cannot have money with you."

The quarantine, according to Hasanly, is a source of corruption. Prisoners are held in unsanitary conditions to pressure them to pay in order to be released sooner, he writes. He notes that the quarantine section of Baku Detention Center is in very poor condition.

"A healthy person will get sick there. It’s complete unsanitary conditions, the rooms are not ventilated. Prisoners can't sleep, insects crawl into their mouths and ears," Hasanly continues.

Penitentiary staff are poorly paid, with junior and mid-level staff earning 500-600 manat while working 50-60 hours a week. This is one of the reasons for extortion.

The detention center is overcrowded it is intended for 2,500 people, but it  currently holds 4,000. Given that the state budget allocates 140 million manat to the Penitentiary Service, the conditions in the detention centers and prisons should be adequate.

"In Baku Detention Center No. 1, the ventilation, heating-cooling systems, refrigerators, and water supply are in poor condition. Water is provided twice a day for one hour. Hot water comes once a week for 2-3 hours. There aren't enough refrigerators, and in the summer, prisoners suffer. Air conditioners are a privilege for 'elite' prisoners.

In the summer, it's impossible to sleep at night because of the heat, and during the day, it’s hard to breathe. Every day, dozens of prisoners experience heart attacks. Even the guards themselves faint," Hasanly says.

He also shares that a fan was sent to him from home, but he wasn't allowed to use it. "The warden said I could only buy it from their store, and I had to pay 40 manat," Hasanly reports. He also mentions threats he received after publishing his first letter. "A trained prisoner threatened me with a knife, and in the summer heat, I wasn’t allowed to open the window and was banned from meeting my child," Hasanly said.

He further reports on instances where prisoners, including transgender individuals, were photographed naked and later blackmailed with these photos.

In response to a request from the Turan news agency for comment on Gasanly's allegations, the Penitentiary Service issued the following statement: "Ulvi Gasanly's article does not reflect reality, and his statements are unfounded."

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