National Preventive Group of the Ombudsman monitored Shemkir District Police Department Temporary Detention Place

According to the instructions of the Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsman) of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ms. Sabina Aliyeva, the members of the National Preventive Group (NPG) conducted a scheduled visit to the Temporary Detention Place of the Ministry of Internal Affairs without prior notice.

The objective of the visit, conducted under the OPCAT and the Constitutional Law on Ombudsman of Azerbaijan, was to monitor the detention conditions and treatment standards and ensuring the rights of administratively detained and accused persons in compliance with internal disciplinary rules and international standards.

Within the frames of the visit, the NPG members inspected the cells, kitchen, bath, interrogation, medical and worship rooms, the walking area, the quality of medical care, nutrition, parcel service, the issues related to walking, visits and phone calls, and the documentation. 

They conducted talks in private to administratively arrested, as well as accused persons detained in the facility to investigate the detention conditions and treatment standards, and the situation of ensuring their rights was investigated on the spot.

In the course of the visit, it was found a shortcoming in detention standards of the accused persons in violation of the internal disciplinary rules and this matter has been eliminated on site bringing the issue to the attention of the administration of the TDP. 

At the end of the monitoring, the awareness talks were carried out with the TDP administration and recommendations were put forward with regard to further improvement of the ensuring the rights and freedoms of the detainees and detention conditions in conformity with international and national legislative framework.