Azerbaijani activist reported rights violations in the pre-trial detention center.

The head of the Election Monitoring Alliance, Mamed Mamedzade, who is under arrest in Azerbaijan in the "NGO case," stated his rights in the pre-trial detention center. In his address, he complained about the lack of "live meetings" with his family, information isolation, and being transported in overcrowded police vans without ventilation in the summer heat. The defense reported signs of violations of the European Convention on Human Rights.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", the head of the Election Monitoring Alliance, Mamed Mamedzade, was detained on March 14, 2025, and was charged under articles 313 (official forgery), 193-1.3.2 (legalization of funds or other property obtained by criminal means, committed on a large scale), and 308.2 (abuse of official powers resulting in serious consequences) of the Criminal Code of Azerbaijan. Mamedzade rejected the charges, stating that his prosecution is related to pressure on civil society in Azerbaijan.

Colleagues of the arrested Mamed Mamedzade in the so-called "NGO case" passed his statement to the media, in which he complains about the restrictions on his rights and the conditions of detention.

In particular, the activist reports that for the past six months, he has been denied "live meetings" with family members in Baku's Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1. Meetings are only allowed through a glass partition.

"Despite the promises of the detention center management to restore 'live meetings,' this has not yet been done. No meetings are allowed with other relatives and friends, even through 'glass,'" Mamedzade's statement to the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" reads.

The activist also complains that newspapers, magazines, and books brought from home are not being delivered to him.

Particular concern for Mamedzade is the transportation to and from court in special vehicles, so-called "police vans." According to him, these vehicles contain detainees in numbers exceeding the designated capacity.

"These special vehicles have no ventilation or air conditioning. In summer, it is unbearable to be in them; the cabins overheat from the scorching sun, and it is hard to breathe. After court hearings, people brought to court are not returned to the detention center immediately. Those whose proceedings have concluded are made to wait for hours in police vans or court buildings, cramped spaces. All these circumstances negatively affect the physical and psychological state of the detainees, causing fatigue, lack of air, dehydration, and limited access to food and sanitary conditions," Mamedzade notes.

He calls on the relevant state authorities to investigate these issues and take measures to ensure the rights of those held in custody.

One of Mamedzade's lawyers, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot" that the activist raised issues regarding the conditions of detention during the ongoing trial, but no measures were taken.

The defense considers the prohibition of "live meetings" with relatives to be an "excessive restriction," as the preliminary investigation has been completed and Mamedzade is already at the stage of judicial proceedings.

The restriction on the transfer of books, magazines, and newspapers is also unjustified, leading to the "information isolation" of the activist. A detainee whose guilt has not yet been proven in court should not be cut off from the outside world and deprived of the opportunity to read, which contradicts the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, the lawyer further noted.

In the transportation in overcrowded "police vans," without ventilation and air conditioning in the summer heat, and during long exhausting waits, the defense sees signs of violations of Article 3 (prohibition of torture, inhuman or degrading treatment) of the European Convention, the lawyer said.

The defender noted that if no measures are taken regarding Mamedzade's complaints about the conditions of detention, these issues will be separately appealed to the European Court of Human Rights in the future.

It was not possible to obtain comments from the penitentiary service of Azerbaijan.

It should be noted that a criminal case against local and foreign NGOs was opened back in 2014. "At that time, there was a wave of arrests of well-known human rights defenders. Subsequently, they were released early, and the case was suspended. But in March 2025, the case was resumed, and it took on the scale of a campaign against the remnants of civil society. More than 100 people were involved in the investigation, including representatives of pro-government NGOs and employees of international donor organizations. Most were interrogated with warnings of new summons, but more than 10 individuals were charged, some in absentia, as they had managed to leave the country," an expert in law previously said.