magazines; to receive and send to close relatives money; to enter into or annul a marriage; to talk on the phone for up to 15 minutes twice a week; to watch TV, etc.39 The adoption of this Law has also facilitated the initiation of several other normative legal acts40, as well as some acts in force have been amended41. Moreover, it is expected that the Cabinet of Ministers will shortly approve the Internal Disciplinary Rules in Detention Facilities as developed by the MJ. The next effective step made within the legislation to prevent torture was the amendment made to the CC to more broadly define an offence of torture in compliance with the Convention. After the amendments, Article 293, which stipulates criminal responsibility for compulsion to give evidence, has been given in new wording. As such, an official or anyone acting in an official capacity, or other persons at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of an official, shall bear criminal liability for inflicting torture, as well as subjecting an individual to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment in connection with performance of his/her official duties. Alongside the above mentioned, that it is unacceptable to apply to a person, that has committed a crime, punishment and other criminal - legal measures that are of torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading nature or purpose has been defined as a constituent part of the CC and the principle of humanism which is one of the principles of criminal liability.42 As a result of the numerous talks held with detainees during the visits conducted in 2012 and analysis of the relevant legislation it has been determined that it is necessary to reform the legal regulation of contacts between convicts and their relatives and other persons taking into consideration that maintaining social relationships has a positive impact on the rehabilitation of convicts. It should be firstly mentioned that although there is no direct instruction in this regard in the EPC, the IDR does not allow inmates serving their sentences in different penitentiary institutions to meet with each other43. However, it is deemed that, irrespective of organizational 39 Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Ensuring the Rights and Freedoms of the Individuals Held in Detention Facilities (22.05.2012, No. 352-IVQ), Articles 15, 19.6, 19.7. 40 Decision of the Plenary Board of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Approval of the “Guidance on the Rules for Escorting Detainees and Convicts” (29.12.2012, No. 31-N); Decision of the Plenary Board of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Approval of the “Guidance on Detention Conditions and Force Feeding of Convicts and Detainees that Refuse to Eat in Penitentiary Institutions” (29.12.2012, No. 32-N); Decision of the Plenary Board of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Approval of the “Guidance on Safeguarding and Escorting Persons Detained in Temporary Detention Places of Police Bodies” (14.01.2013, No. Q1-001-13); 41 Decision of the Plenary Board of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the Amendment of the “Guidance on the Organization of the Registration of Accused and Convicted Persons in Investigation Isolators and Prisons” approved by Decision No. 7-N of 29 December 2011 of the Plenary Board of the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Azerbaijan (29.12.2012, No. 34-N); 42 Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Amending the Criminal Code of the Republic of Azerbaijan (29.06.2012, No. 405-IVQD) 43 IDR, clause 30.2 38