At the same time, they have nowhere to turn for redress. There is an overwhelming lack of public confidence in the criminal justice system in Azerbaijan. Citizens are being preyed upon by corrupt and abusive police. At the same time, they have nowhere to turn for redress. Before their trial, detainees do not have even minimal access to the courts to review the grounds of their detention or complain about their treatment.
Corruption is rampant.
In one case, a Baku resident told researchers that his son was beaten to death in police custody before he was able to sell his family's household possessions to raise the full amount of a bribe requested by police for his son's release. In more than twenty cases investigated by Human Rights Watch, no judge ruled inadmissible confessions or testimony reported to have been gained through torture. Since torture frequently occurs under conditions which only the torturers and the victim witness, a key piece of evidence to substantiate a claim of torture later in court is a prompt and impartial medical exam. But, as the report notes, Azerbaijani law leaves it entirely to the discretion of the police or procuracy to approve a detainee's request for the medical examination. In some of the cases examined, judges refused requests for medical exams once a case was sent to trial.