Scorching heat in jail

Particularly deplorable situation was when in the midst of the heat several blocks of the Mingachevir power station broke down. The whole country was left without light, and then without water. The collapse, which lasted several days, literally paralyzed everything. People deprived of communal conditions complained that they cannot observe basic hygiene conditions, and some wrote in social networks that now they understand what prisoners feel in local prisons.

Indeed, some prisoners complain of intolerable conditions in the places of detention. Most complaints are about the absence of water, small number of fans, they often break down, and do not help in a terrible hot weather. According to Shura Amiraslanova, the mother of the "prisoner of the monument" Giyas Ibrahimov, in the cell in prison N2 where he is kept, there is only one ceiling fan for 20 prisoners broke, and it is very difficult to find spare parts, because the fan model is out of date: "The fan was hard to fix, but it will hardly work long." According to relatives of other prisoners, one of the main problems is the lack of water, prisoners cannot even simply bathe.

Mehman Sadigov, the head of the public relations department of the Penitentiary Service, says that due to the hot weather conditions prevailing in the country, a number of measures are being taken in the places of detention, it will reduce the negative impact of heat on prisoners: "In each penitentiary institution, several multi-ton water tanks, and even in the absence of water for a week, prisoners can use this water without restrictions: drinking, swimming, etc. In addition, all bedrooms have both ceiling and floor fans. In addition, a two-time daily roll call of prisoners, which is usually conducted outdoors, in connection with the heat is not conducted on the parade ground, but in enclosed spaces. At the same time, doctors working in all correctional facilities react promptly to all appeals of prisoners," Sadigov said.

Lawyer Samir Agayev said Turan that the conditions in the local places of detention are very severe. According to her, this is especially acute in the winter and summer period: "It's impossible even to imagine how this summer the prisoners suffer the heat. According to state structures, our correctional facilities are built and equipped according to international standards. However, this can be argued, since if conditions in places of detention under severe weather conditions do not meet international standards, then this is a violation of human rights. If there are not enough fans and air conditioners at a 40-degree heat, often prisoners are placed in a cooler where there is no air ventilation, then this causes certain suffering, which falls under Article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which Azerbaijan ratified in 2001. According to this Article, inhuman and degrading treatment, as well as torture are prohibited. This Article is applied unconditionally to all citizens of the member states of the Council of Europe. Prisoners are deprived of their liberty for a certain period of time, but they are not deprived of other rights, including detention under normal conditions, close to conditions at liberty," S.Agayeva said.

According to the rules established by the Council of Europe, the state should ensure that the oppression and difficulties faced by prisoners do not exceed the level of inconvenience that is inevitably inherent in any deprivation of liberty. The health of prisoners should not be jeopardized. According to the European Prison Rules, which apply to all member countries of the Council of Europe, life in places of detention should, as far as possible, be close to positive aspects of life in society. Furthermore, in accordance with the Article 18.1, when placing prisoners, especially when providing places for sleep, their human dignity must be respected and privacy ensured, and sanitary conditions in respect of area, room volume, lighting, heating, ventilation should be respected with consideration of climatic conditions.