Imprisoned Azerbaijani journalist Ulviyya Ali writes of the psychological toll on Azerbaijani prisoners in a letter dated one year after her arrest.
Armenia, while ranking the highest, has also dropped in ranking.
One human rights activist has speculated the increased pressure is a sign that some prisoners might be released in the near future.
Samadov's grandmother can only give him a prison package worth about ₼200 ($118) from her pension once a month.
Police witnesses in the Ahmad Mammadli case testified at court hearings that they did not see him stabbing anyone.
The jail had previously required all meetings to be held through a glass partition.
Imprisoned politicians also said they had been mistreated in prison.
