Yagublu reported a deterioration in the conditions of detention in the Azerbaijani colony.
In correctional colony N17 in Baku, there have been power and water outages for about a week, opposition politician Tofig Yagublu reported to his relatives.
As reported by "Caucasian Knot", despite Tofig Yagublu's transfer from quarantine to the general zone of the colony, the conditions of his detention have not improved, and his health condition continues to deteriorate, said the politician's daughter, Nigar Khazi, who visited him on May 12. "My father is still not being examined or treated. He is not even given two crutches. Walking with one crutch does not alleviate the pain [in his knee]," she said.
Tofig Yagublu is a member of the coordination center of the National Council of Democratic Forces (NCDF) and the "Musavat" party. On March 10, 2025, the court sentenced him to 9 years in prison, finding him guilty of fraud and forgery. Yagublu rejected the charges and stated that his prosecution was politically motivated. There is no evidence of Yagublu's guilt in the case, his defense stated. The appellate and cassation courts upheld the sentence. On May 6, it became known that Yagublu's health condition sharply deteriorated.
Tofig Yagublu informed his relatives about the restrictions on electricity supply in correctional institution N17, which led to a deterioration in the conditions of detention for prisoners. Yagublu told this to his daughter during a phone call on July 27.
"In the colony, there has been almost no electricity for about a week. During the day, the light is on for only one or two hours. Imagine the situation in the summer heat when the temperature exceeds 40 degrees. This means that refrigerators do not work, prisoners cannot find either cool drinking water or have the opportunity to wash properly. Due to the heat, food spoils and has to be thrown away," said the politician's daughter Nigar Khazi to a correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot".
According to her, power outages have also led to the shutdown of the water supply system and, consequently, to restrictions on water supply. "Colony N17 is already a cramped, semi-closed, and unsanitary correctional facility, and the lack of light and water makes the conditions of detention even more unbearable," Khazi stated.
At the same time, she noted that the knee pain that Yagublu previously had has recently weakened. "After two months, my father was given the results of an MRI examination and was examined by an orthopedic doctor," Khazi noted.
IK-17 was built during the USSR and does not meet modern penitentiary standards defined by the European Prison Rules, noted one of the Baku activists, who previously participated in human rights projects, in a conversation with a correspondent of the "Caucasian Knot".
"This is one of the complexes of correctional institutions built in the Baku suburb of Bina during Soviet times. There has been no major renovation or reconstruction there. The infrastructure has obviously completely deteriorated, which is why there are power and water outages. I don't think electricity is intentionally turned off. The system apparently cannot handle the loads when fans are turned on in the barracks for prisoners. To prevent the system from completely failing, electricity is supplied with restrictions. However, this makes life for prisoners unbearable," said the activist, who wished to remain anonymous.
It should be noted that earlier activists Bakhtiyar Babashov, Lachin Veliev, Elvin Mustafaev complained about the conditions of detention in IK-17.