Opposition figure Gadzhiev and journalist Kerimov were subjected to pressure in a Baku prison colony.

Prisoners at a correctional facility in Azerbaijan complained of being forced to line up in the prison yard in the pouring rain. Opposition figure Shahin Hajiyev and journalist Teymur Kerimov, who protested, were subjected to pressure.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Shahin Hajiyev, an activist with the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan (PFPA), was detained on November 26, 2021, on suspicion of drug trafficking. On March 31, 2022, the court sentenced him to six years in prison. In 2024, after two stints in solitary confinement, Hajiyev's sentence was increased. Teymur Kerimov, director of the YouTube project Kanal-11, was arrested on December 12, 2023, on charges of repeated extortion through threats. Kerimov denied all charges and linked the criminal prosecution to his journalistic activities. On December 28, 2024, a Baku court sentenced Kerimov to eight years in prison; in December 2025, the term was reduced to five years.

Prisoners at Correctional Facility No. 10 were forced to line up in the prison courtyard on March 27-28, during continuous torrential rains in Baku. Shahin Hajiyev, a member of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan serving a sentence in this colony, refused to go out for formation, citing that his shoes were wet.

“The guards forced Shahin Hajiyev to leave the barracks, and in protest, he went out barefoot and stood in the rain on the wet asphalt for about half an hour,” the PFPA press service told a “Caucasian Knot” correspondent.

Kanal-11 director Teymur Kerimov, serving a sentence in the same colony, also protested being taken out for formation in the rain.

“Teymur told the colony staff that his shoes were wet, but they told him that formation was mandatory. In protest, he attempted to go out barefoot, declaring that this decision was illegal and contrary to the internal regulations. He was brought back and forced to go out in formation, wearing "Cellophane on shoes. Teymur reported that in this colony, prisoners are taken out to the parade ground in cold, rain, and heat, regardless of the risks to their health; weather conditions are not taken into account. Teymur and other prisoners have previously complained to various government agencies about violations of their rights, but in vain," a relative of Kerimov told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

The internal regulations of correctional institutions, approved by the Ministry of Justice of Azerbaijan in November 2010, stipulate that in rainy weather, or when the air temperature is below +12°C or above +45°C, prisoners must be checked exclusively indoors, a legal expert explained to a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

“Unfortunately, this rule is ignored in virtually all prison colonies: prisoners are taken out for inspections in rain, snow, heat, and strong winds. Those who protest face threats, violence, and insults. Prison staff feel a sense of impunity,” said a lawyer who wished to remain anonymous.

A Caucasian Knot correspondent was unable to obtain comment from the Azerbaijani Penitentiary Service.