"Abzas Media"’s editor-in-chief, Sevinc Vagifgizi, who has been unjustly imprisoned for over a year on baseless charges, has addressed an open letter to the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman), Sabina Aliyeva.

In her letter, the journalist stated that she decided to write to Sabina Aliyeva after reading the Ombudsman’s open letter to Tirana Hassan, the Executive Director of the international human rights organization “Human Rights Watch” (HRW).

We present Sevinc Vagifgizi’s open letter to Ombudsman Sabina Aliyeva in full:

"Ms. Aliyeva,

This is my first open letter to you. However, during the 1 year and 3 months I have been imprisoned, I have sent you two letters through the representatives you dispatched to the detention facility. In those letters, I wrote about the torture, corruption crimes, and inhumane treatment of detainees by the staff of Baku Detention Center No. 1 (BDC). As journalists of Abzas Media, we also made these cases public through the media.

Despite all the efforts to inform you, in your letter to Human Rights Watch, you stated that ‘The members of the National Preventive Group met with several individuals mentioned in Human Rights Watch's report, and no cases of torture or inhumane treatment were identified.’

As Abzas Media journalists, we informed you about the violent treatment against Elnara Gasimova on November 13, Nargiz Absalamova on November 14, and myself. We reported that detention center officer Shahla Mammadova insulted Nargiz Absalamova, and chief supervisor Aziza Mammadova crushed her arm between the cell bars, leaving bruises that were officially recorded by a doctor.

On November 16, my family and lawyer reported the inhumane treatment I endured to your hotline. However, you later denied receiving any complaint when addressing the media.

Among the realities you deny is the case of Ulvi Hasanli, who wrote about the torture of 58 detainees within six months. Shortly after, the detention center chief, Elnur Ismayilov, manipulated Ulvi’s cellmate into attacking him with a razor.

Another ‘forgotten’ incident is when a detention officer slammed Ulvi against the wall simply for greeting me in the hallway, causing him injuries.

And I see that you have also ignored how, in the past two weeks, detention officer Aygul Babayeva engaged in inhumane actions against Nargiz Absalamova and me.

If you want to see inhumane treatment with your own eyes, come to the detention center. You will witness Nargiz’s peeled skin, the result of Aygul Babayeva’s violent actions.

Aygul Babayeva claims she acts based on orders, and those orders naturally come from the detention center chief, Elnur Ismayilov. He, in turn, says he follows instructions from higher authorities. When we mentioned filing a complaint with you, the chief responded: ‘The Ombudsman is on our side. Whatever we say, they will agree.’

Your open letter to Human Rights Watch proves that not only political prisoners but all detainees face inhumane treatment under conditions you have accepted as normal and permissible.

Since the establishment of the Ombudsman’s Office, at least twice, people have placed coffins in front of your office in protest of your blind observance of human rights violations. At the time, young activists hoped these protests would push the Ombudsman’s Office to take human rights violations more seriously. But it seems your institution has once again chosen the path of covering up the truth.

In just the past month, 11 detainees have died due to lack of adequate medical treatment. But I suppose you do not consider this a fact either. Perhaps, like an election official in the Gazakh region once said, you are preparing a response along the lines of: ‘They are dead for you, but alive for us.’

However, by doing so, you are not denying the facts; rather, you are proving that you are unworthy of the title of Commissioner for Human Rights.”

On January 31, Ombudsman Sabina Aliyeva addressed an open letter to HRW Executive Director Tirana Hassan. In the letter, Aliyeva claimed that HRW’s report on the human rights situation in Azerbaijan was based on "questionable and biased sources" and was prepared without considering the Ombudsman’s annual and parallel reports.

The annual report published by HRW on January 16, 2025, stated that repression in Azerbaijan had intensified, highlighting the arrests of journalists, human rights defenders, and activists.

The report also documented cases of mistreatment and torture of detainees in Azerbaijani prisons.

It specifically referenced testimonies from Fazil Gasimov and Imran Aliyev, who reported being subjected to police violence, torture, and ill-treatment.

Additionally, the document included testimony regarding the dire prison conditions of Taleh Bagirzade, a religious figure sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The report also recalled that Azerbaijan had refused to cooperate with the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT).

HRW strongly criticized this decision, labeling it a "serious and unprecedented violation" of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture.