196 Million Manats and a Rotten Refrigerator: Abzas Journalists Report from Prison

By Sevinc Vaqifqizi, Nargiz Absalamova, Elnare Gasimova

The freezer, retrieved from the storage area by a female inmate worker, creaks as she crams the inmates’ meat into the ice-encrusted compartment of a worn-out “Chinar” refrigerator. She then awkwardly grabs the detached door leaning against the wall and forces it shut. She steps back, anxiously watching in case the rotten door drops off again.

This is a glimpse into the summer reality of Baku Pretrial Detention Center, where women journalists from “AbzasMedia” are being held. The Azerbaijani government has allocated 196,864,793 manats to the Penitentiary Service this year, but the inmates ask: where is that money going?

9 Refrigerators for 153 Women Inmates

Due to poor quality prison meals, inmates rely on food brought in by relatives. Each prisoner is entitled to one visit per week. Food must be stored in refrigerators, yet only 9 are available for the 153 women in the facility. One of those was bought by inmates themselves; another doesn’t work at all. Four of the units date back to the Soviet era and are heavily rusted. Often, the food spoils inside them.

Desperate to preserve their food, inmates beg the staff: “Please, do something.” Staff members themselves are powerless, opening every fridge to juggle items and try to fit more in, often placing one inmate’s food outside temporarily to chill the new arrivals.

The deputy warden, Ehmed Abdiyev, suggested refilling the units with gas. However, given their decrepit state, there is no guarantee their doors will stay attached.

Sweltering Cells and Scarce Fans

Inmates also suffer from extreme heat. There is no air conditioning or ventilation system. In Cell 41, where 11 women are held, only three fans are available—all purchased by the prisoners. Other cells have similarly insufficient numbers. In Cell 71, designed for 10 but housing 12, only three fans are shared. In Cell 33, with 10 inmates including a pregnant woman, there are just two fans.

Most fans are either donated by other inmates or purchased by families. The facility itself rarely supplies them. A recent inspection raised hopes among prisoners, but it turned out the guards were simply counting old fans to send for repairs, not adding new ones.

Two Hours of Chlorinated Water Per Day

Water shortages compound the problems. In summer, cold water is supplied for only 2 hours a day—down from 3 in winter. That time is barely enough to fill storage containers. Even worse, the water is heavily chlorinated and unfit for drinking. The sanitation of water tanks is unknown.

Hot water is supplied only twice a week, totaling 5 hours. In overcrowded cells, women take turns using the shared shower, often entering two at a time. Temperatures fluctuate wildly—either scalding or freezing. In some cells, there is no proper shower setup. Prisoners kneel to wash under a tap or use buckets.

Without consistent access to hot water, inmates heat it in electric kettles, which frequently break down and are replaced at their own expense. Others place 20-liter containers in the sun to warm. Carrying these heavy loads causes back pain.

No Cleaning Supplies Provided

Prisoners are not given hygiene supplies and must rely on their families. Requests for better ventilation, reliable refrigeration, and more water are often met with a dismissive response: “This is a prison, not a resort.”

In the past five years, the state has allocated over 837 million manats to the Penitentiary Service for basic prisoner welfare. Yet in the women’s wing, no sign of that money can be found.

The State Audit Office would do well to investigate where these funds are truly going—and whose luxury vacations are being financed instead of inmates’ rights and dignity.