Azerbaijani opposition figure reports prison power and water cuts

Tofiq Yaqublu

Imprisoned Azerbaijani opposition politician Tofiq Yaqublu has reported severe power and water outages at his correctional facility during extreme summer temperatures, according to his family.

His daughter, Nigar Hazi, shared the details on social media on 27 July, stating that Prison No. 17 has had electricity for only one or two hours a day over the past week.

She said temperatures exceeding 40C (104F) have caused food in refrigerators to spoil, leaving inmates unable to bathe or access cool drinking water.

"Fridgidaire units are not working, inmates cannot find cool water to drink, nor can they wash," Ms Hazi wrote, describing conditions in the cramped, semi-closed facility as "unbearable".

Inmates and their families in Azerbaijan frequently raise concerns regarding inadequate public utility services across the country's penal system. Authorities routinely deny these allegations, maintaining that facilities meet standard operational requirements.

Yaqublu, a senior member of both the National Council opposition coalition and the Musavat Party, was sentenced to nine years in prison on 10 March last year.

He was convicted by the Baku Serious Crimes Court on charges of large-scale fraud and the creation or use of forged documents. Yaqublu denies all charges, maintaining that his prosecution is politically motivated.