Labor Activist Aykhan Israfilov Transferred to Baku SIZO

Aykhan Israfilov

Labor rights activist Aykhan Israfilov has been moved to the Baku Pre-Trial Detention Center, according to his family.

Israfilov, a board member of the Workers' Desk Confederation of Trade Unions, had requested early release after serving two-thirds of his sentence. The court turned down his request, and he appealed to the Baku Court of Appeal. Because of this appeal, he was moved from Correctional Facility No. 10 to the Baku Pre-Trial Detention Center. His appeal is scheduled to be heard on November 12.

In a phone call, Israfilov told his family that the detention center’s closed environment is bad for his health, as it violates the terms of his sentence.

His family reports that Israfilov has a leg injury that requires regular exercise, which the detention center's conditions prevent. Meeting with family is limited to communicating through glass. He is being held in a 10-square-meter cell with five other people.

According to Article 69-1, paragraph 1 of the Code of Execution of Sentences, prisoners serving a fixed term or life imprisonment can only be moved to a detention center by court order for up to two months, extendable to four months if needed.

Paragraph 2 states that the detention conditions for those moved from a penitentiary institution are determined by the standard rules of that place. Short meetings, phone calls, or video calls may be offered instead of longer in-person visits.

Lawyer Ruslan Aliyev told Abzas Media there is no legal reason for Israfilov’s transfer:

A prisoner's regime is determined by the sentence, and only a court can make such decisions. The Penitentiary Service or the prosecutor’s office cannot change the regime or place of detention; that is up to the judge.

He added that prisoners can file complaints in court for reasons like torture, being denied access to a lawyer, or issues with the institution's management.

If a prisoner is to be moved to an isolation ward, they should be taken to different isolation wards each time. Doing this is against the law, the lawyer said.

Israfilov was arrested in August 2023, initially charged with serious crimes under Article 234 of the Criminal Code. The charges were later reduced to Article 234.1.1 – possession of a large quantity of drugs without intent to sell. He denies the charges, saying his arrest is due to his activism.

On April 2, 2024, the Baku Court of Grave Crimes sentenced Israfilov to three years in prison.

The “Workers’ Desk” is an independent group that campaigns for the rights of couriers. During the same period, the group's chairman, Afiaddin Mammadov, and members Elvin Mustafayev and Mohyaddin Orujov were also arrested on different charges. Human rights organizations consider them all political prisoners.