Intimidation and Inhumane Conditions: Trade Unionist Afiaddin Mammadov’s Ordeal in Prison

Afiaddin Mammadov

Afiaddin Mammadov, chair of the “Workers’ Table” Trade Union Confederation, has been threatened with transfer to a high-security prison after publicly exposing squalid conditions at Penitentiary Facility No. 2, where he is serving an eight-year sentence.

Afiaddin Mammadov, a prominent labor rights activist, was first detained in September 2023 during a protest over couriers’ mopeds being towed en masse, receiving a 30-day administrative arrest. On September 20 of that year, he was remanded in custody on criminal charges—intentional grievous bodily harm with hooligan intent (Criminal Code 126.2.4), hooliganism with a weapon (221.3), and illegal weapon possession (228.4). On January 14, 2025, the Baku Serious Crimes Court sentenced him to eight years behind bars. Shortly after his initial detention, fellow “Workers’ Table” members Elvin Mustafayev and Aykhan Israfilov were also arrested on drug-related charges.

In a June 6 statement, the “Workers’ Table” Confederation revealed that the administration of Penitentiary Facility No. 2 has threatened Mammadov with transfer to a stricter, closed-regime institution. According to the Confederation, these threats came after Mammadov drew public attention to the facility’s unsanitary conditions.

In a letter published on May 30 and sent to his family, Mammadov detailed that “there are only four sanitation units for over 250 inmates,” and warned that “rats roam freely in the kitchen, gnawing through food containers and eating the food.” He further noted that his cell’s population far exceeds legal limits, and that his advocacy extends beyond political prisoners to defend the rights of all inmates.

Mammadov’s case illustrates a broader pattern of legal harassment faced by independent activists in Azerbaijan.

Threatening him with harsher incarceration for exposing health hazards suggests an attempt to silence scrutiny of prison conditions. Although the administration of Facility No. 2 and the national Penitentiary Service have not publicly responded, this episode fuels concerns about accountability in the penitentiary system.

As Afiaddin Mammadov remains behind bars, human rights and labor groups continue to monitor his situation closely. The authorities’ next steps—whether they follow through on the transfer threat or institute reforms—will be telling indicators of Azerbaijan’s commitment to prisoners’ rights and freedom of expression.