Ali Zeynal, an employee of the Institute for Democratic Initiatives who is currently detained in connection with the “Toplum TV case,” has published an open letter addressed to Minister of Justice Farid Ahmadov. The letter, released by Toplum TV, provides a detailed critique of the conditions inside the Baku Pretrial Detention Facility and accuses its administration of mismanagement and staged inspections.
Ali Zeynal, widely recognized as a political prisoner, was arrested during the investigation into “Toplum TV” activities. Zeynal worked previously at the Institute for Democratic Initiatives and had once been a student of Farid Ahmadov when Ahmadov served as a university rector. In his letter, Zeynal recalls their earlier relationship and contrasts it with his current treatment under Ahmadov’s tenure as Justice Minister.
Failed Attempts to Raise Concerns
Zeynal writes that he tried repeatedly to bring problems to the attention of the facility’s leadership:
“Although I tried repeatedly to reach out to the head of the Baku Pretrial Detention Facility, Justice Colonel Elnur Ismayilov, or his deputies, there was no interest shown. However, whenever there was a fabricated complaint or petition against me, the administration immediately found the time to summon me.”
According to Zeynal, the warden and his deputies never responded to his requests to discuss the appalling conditions—yet they manage to schedule themselves to issue orders to send him to a disciplinary facility without delay.
Alleged Fabricated Complaint by Convoy Officers
Zeynal also describes an incident during his transfer:
“After your 7–8-person convoy dragged me around with my hands in handcuffs, they filed a complaint alleging that I somehow managed to beat them up singlehandedly in that state. No one has shown me the complaint—I haven’t read it. But ‘according to what I’ve been told,’ that’s more or less what it said.”
He emphasizes that, to this day, he has neither seen nor been allowed to review that complaint.
Staged “Inspection” of the Facility
One of Zeynal’s most serious accusations concerns the way the Ministry of Justice conducted its last inspection of the detention facility. He claims that a commission arrived to inspect only the cells that had been prepared weeks in advance:
“Preparations in Cell 12 of Block II began one or two months before this so-called ‘honorable inspection’ arrived. Renovations were done, new cabinets were brought in, potted plants were placed, and scenic pictures of mountains, tea, and natural landscapes were hung on the walls. It turns out the locations the ‘inspection’ was going to inspect had been known—even months in advance!”
According to Zeynal, this elaborate staging was meant to conceal the true state of the facility from Ministry officials.
Conditions in Neighboring Cell
Zeynal contrasts Cell 12 with the horror of Cell 19, which sits directly across the corridor:
“If they had taken even one or two minutes to step into Cell 19, I would’ve gladly shown them our personal belongings, clothes, and food contaminated by sewage. And if no one was too squeamish, I’d have shown them the giant cockroaches, too.”
He adds that he refrained from describing the rats emerging from beneath the floor and from clogged sewer pipes only because he did not wish to traumatize the inspectors.
Closing Appeal to Minister Ahmadov
Addressing Minister Farid Ahmadov directly, Zeynal reminds him of their past connection and challenges him to scrutinize those conducting the inspections:
“My former rector, Farid Ahmadov—don’t take it personally, but I must say this to you:
‘Inspect your inspection. The people doing the inspecting need to be inspected themselves.’”
He ends with a brief farewell: “Take care of yourself, stay well… Zeynalov Ali Kamil oglu, Political Prisoner.”
Current Status and Lack of Official Response
As of now, neither the Ministry of Justice nor the administration of the Baku Pretrial Detention Facility has issued any response to Zeynal’s allegations. His letter stands as one of the few firsthand accounts from inside the facility, shedding light on both the daily hardships faced by detainees and the perceived manipulation of official oversight.