On 3 September, the Sabunchu District Court in Baku reviewed a complaint filed by Abzas Media’s imprisoned editor-in-chief, Sevinj Vagifgizi, concerning her conditions of detention at the Baku Pretrial Detention Facility.

The hearing, chaired by Judge Teymur Hasanov, went ahead without the journalist’s lawyer. The penitentiary service was represented by inspector Shamil Suleymanov.

Vagifgizi told the court that detention facilities were overcrowded and poorly ventilated, with water supplied only intermittently. She added that heating and cooling systems did not function properly, leaving cells cold in winter and hot in summer.

“Cold water is supplied only two hours a day. Hot water is available twice a week, and only for limited hours. Each inmate has less than four square metres of space, while European standards require at least seven,” she said.

The journalist also alleged that during her hunger strike she was placed in inhumane conditions, denied access to clothing and medication.

“During the hunger strike, they placed me in a room infested with insects. There was no shower system, the television did not work. My clothes and medicines were deliberately withheld from me as a form of pressure.”

The journalist also recalled that, despite her repeated requests, the prison administration refused to provide her with a fan:

“To give me a simple fan, the warden says, “Delete your articles, then I will give it.” This shows that all of this is because of my journalistic work. While everyone else is allowed a fan, why am I denied? This is discrimination. Everyone should be treated equally before the law. The warden must treat all inmates equally. Why am I subjected to this discrimination? Summer is already ending, and I still haven’t been given a fan.”

Representing the penitentiary, Shamil Suleymanov stated that water is supplied to the facility at all times. Regarding ventilation, he said there had never been such a system. Nevertheless, he emphasized that every inmate is provided with a fan. He also claimed that Vagifgizi was given her medicines during the hunger strike.

According to Vagifgizi, she is raising these issues not only on her own behalf but also on behalf of more than 4,300 inmates facing similar conditions:

“When you issue your ruling, it will not only affect me but thousands of other prisoners as well,” she told the judge.

The court, however, rejected all her motions, including a request for an on-site inspection of the prison.

Sevinj Vagifgizi, editor-in-chief of Abzas Media, was arrested on November 2023 and later charged with smuggling and serious financial crimes. In June 2025, the Baku Serious Crimes Court sentenced her to nine years in prison- charges she and rights groups say are retaliation for her journalism.