The main objective of the visit was to examine the treatment and conditions of detention of persons in the custody of law enforcement agencies and in penitentiary establishments and to review the measures taken by the Azerbaijani authorities in response to the relevant recommendations made by the Committee after previous visits.

In the course of the visit, the delegation held consultations with Fikrat Mammadov, Minister of Justice, Ramil Usubov, Minister of Internal Affairs, as well as with senior officials from these ministries. During the visit to Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the delegation had meetings with Suliddin Aliyev, Minister of Justice of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and Fazil Alakbarov, Minister of Internal Affairs of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The delegation also met Elmira Suleymanova, Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson), and staff of the National Preventive Mechanism department of her Office.

At the end of the visit, the delegation presented the Azerbaijani authorities with its preliminary observations.

The visit was carried out by the following members of the CPT:

• Mykola Gnatovskyy, President of the CPT, Head of delegation
• Djordje Alempijević
• Davor Strinović
• George Tugushi.

They were supported by Borys Wódz (Head of Division) and Dalia Žukauskienė of the CPT's Secretariat, and assisted by an expert Maïté De Rue, Deputy to the Prosecutor-General, Liège, Belgium and former Vice-President of the Committee.

The delegation visited the following places of detention:

Establishments under the Ministry of Internal Affairs

• Temporary Detention Centre of the Main Department for Combating Organised Crime, Baku
• Narimanov District Police Department and Temporary Detention Centre, Baku
• Nizami District Police Department and Temporary Detention Centre, Baku
• Surakhani District Police Department and Temporary Detention Centre, Baku
• Xezer District Police Department and Temporary Detention Centre, Baku
• Main City Police Department and Temporary Detention Centre of Ganja/Kapaz
• Sheki City Police Station and Temporary Detention Centre
• Nakhchivan Temporary Detention Centre, Böyük Düz

Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Justice

• Sheki penitentiary establishment
• Nakhchivan mixed-regime prison
• Baku pre-trial detention facility, Zabrat
• Pre-trial detention facility No.2, Ganja
• Pre-trial detention facility No.3, Shuvalan

Establishments under the authority of the State Security Service

• Investigative isolator and temporary detention facility, Baku