Azerbaijani blogger Rashad Ramazanov complains about violation of his rights in colony

Rashad Ramazanov, an Azeri blogger, convicted within a drug case, has complained about violence from colony staff and poor custody conditions.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that on January 2, 2025, Ramazanov complained that the colony where he is being held is overcrowded and unsanitary, and that prisoners are being pressured.

"The treatment of prisoners in the colony is very bad. The food quality is low and there is too little time for eating; therefore, prisoners have no time to eat properly ... Hot water is supplied once a week and for a short period. Rashad complained, made it public, and even once managed to call and tell journalists about the poor custody conditions. For defending prisoners’ rights, he is periodically subjected to moral and physical pressure," his wife Kenul Ismailova has stated.

She has noted that she had repeatedly contacted the Penitentiary Service and the Ombudsperson's Office with a complaint that her husband was being pressured and that he was being held in poor conditions, but there were no results.

Let us remind you that the Union "For the Freedom of Political Prisoners of Azerbaijan" recognized Ramazanov as a political prisoner. On February 5, 2024, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced Ramazanov to five years and four months in colony.