Sevinj Vagifgizi complained about the conditions of detention in Baku Pre-trial Detention Center-1

On March 19, the Court of Appeal in Baku rejected the appeal of the editor-in-chief of the online publication Abzas Media, Sevinj Vagifgyzy, to extend the period of pre-trial detention for another three months, her lawyer Elchin Sadigov said.

According to him, the journalist also reported poor conditions of detention in the Baku pre-trial detention center-1.

“The cell in which Vagifgyzy is kept is not heated. Because due to a rupture in the heating system pipe, water spreads throughout the entire chamber. The camera is almost completely covered in water,” the lawyer said.

The Prison Service could not be reached for comment.

Vagifgyzy and five other Abzas Media journalists were arrested on smuggling charges. They deny the accusations and believe that they are being persecuted for anti-corruption investigations published on Abzas Media. Many international human rights and journalistic organizations have called for their release.