In the context of the on-going evaluation of the Joint Project of the Council of Europe and the European Union on ‘Further support to penitentiary reform in Azerbaijan’, Blomeyer & Sanz conducted a mission to Baku to meet with local stakeholders involved in the project, including the Penitentiary Service of the Ministry of Justice and the Main Medical Department. During the mission we also visited the Penitentiary Establishment No 4 (for female offenders) and Penitentiary Establishment No 16 (general regime establishment) as well as Multi-Profile Prison Hospital.