The family of Abzas Media’s imprisoned editor-in-chief, Sevinj Vagifgizi, say they were subjected to abusive treatment by prison staff during their most recent visit.

According to them, during a meeting held on 18 October at the Lankaran Penitentiary Complex, Vagifgizi’s mother and sister were subjected to violent and humiliating behaviour. Before the visit, prison staff reportedly took her mother, Ofelia Maharramova, and her sister into a separate room and attempted to search them by force.

Although Maharramova informed the staff that she had a heart device and asked them to act with caution, they nevertheless demanded that she and her daughter remove their shoes. The elderly woman said she had difficulty doing so, while her daughter explained she could not because she had recently undergone foot surgery. They requested to be searched using a scanning device instead.

Vagifgizi’s sister said that after being scanned, nothing was found. However, as they were leaving the facility, staff again tried to search them forcibly. This time, officers allegedly removed her shoes and tore out the insoles. She added that a female guard behaved “extremely rudely” during the inspection.

The family also claimed that Sevinj Vagifgizi’s right to confidentiality during the visit was violated. The meeting lasted only an hour, and a guard remained in the room in close proximity to them the entire time. The journalist protested that she could not speak freely with her family, but the officer replied that they were “just following orders.”

On 25 September, Sevinj Vagifgizi, Nargiz Absalamova and Elnara Gasimova were transferred from Baku Pretrial Detention Centre to the Lankaran Penitentiary Complex, about three hours from Baku. Their relatives say the move has further restricted opportunities for visits, and the journalists believe it is another form of pressure in response to their reporting.