Azerbaijani activist Israfilov complained about worsening prison conditions

After being transferred to a pretrial detention center pending an appeal, trade union activist Aykhan Israfilov reported a significant deterioration in his prison conditions.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on April 2, 2024, a Baku court sentenced Aykhan Israfilov, a member of the board of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Azerbaijan (Confederation of Trade Unions) affiliated with the "Democracy 1918" movement, to 1 , to three years in prison on charges of drug trafficking. The activist claimed the charges were fabricated, and that his trade union activities were the reason for the criminal prosecution.

Israfilov's appeal against the denial of parole due to the expiration of two-thirds of his sentence will be considered by the Baku Court of Appeal, according to his relatives.

"Aykhan was transferred from Colony No. 10 to the Baku Pretrial Detention Center, and the reason given was the upcoming appeal hearing. Aykhan called and reported that the pretrial detention center is effectively operating under closed regime. "This means that during the day, Aykhan cannot leave his 10-square-meter cell, which also houses five other inmates. Being held in such conditions violates the conditions established for him in the court's sentence. Furthermore, in the pretrial detention center, communication with family members is only possible through a glass partition," his relative told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Israfilov also experiences difficulties in the pretrial detention center cell due to his physical condition. "Aykhan is a third-degree disabled person. When Aykhan was 22, he was electrocuted, and one of his legs lost full function. Doctors prescribed physical exercise to prevent his leg from deteriorating further. "But, unlike a penal colony, there are no such conditions in a pretrial detention center," the activist's relative continued.

The Penitentiary Service has the right to send a convicted person from a penal colony to a pretrial detention facility before considering an appeal to facilitate the transfer to court, said an Azerbaijani lawyer who did not wish to publish his name.

"However, prisoners must be treated individually. If detention in a pretrial detention facility worsens the convicted person's condition, this must be taken into account. For example, they could transfer him to the pretrial detention facility literally the day before the appeal. Or they could not take him there at all and hold the hearing online. After all, courts of first instance consider parole appeals either at mobile hearings or online. In any case, Israfilov's limited physical capabilities should have been taken into account," the source said.

As a reminder, Aykhan Israfilov was detained on August 11, 2023, and subsequently arrested on charges of drug trafficking. His associates claimed that Israfilov's case was fabricated and constituted retaliation for his trade union activities.

On December 19, 2023, a judge refused to transfer Israfilov to house arrest or a pretrial detention facility adapted for the disabled, despite his health issues. The activist's sister reported that Aykhan's leg injury worsened in pretrial detention due to the cold in the cell and the ban on walks and exercise. In May 2025, the ECHR excluded Israfilov's complaint against his arrest from its list of cases due to the Azerbaijani government's recognition of a violation of the activist's right to liberty. This decision does not provide for Israfilov's release, as the complaint concerned pretrial detention, the convicted person's lawyer stated.