It Is Necessary to Soften Conditions of Detention in Female Penitentiary - Gezal Bayramly

Baku / 27.03.19 / Turan: The final and cardinal solution of the problem of political prisoners depends on the will of the head of state. This opinion was expressed by the deputy chairman of the Popular Front Party of Azerbaijan, Gezal Bayramly, who was released after a 2-year imprisonment as part of an act of pardon.

All political prisoners should be released and the practice of politically motivated arrests should cease. Bayramly spoke about the harsh conditions of detention in the country's only women's penitentiary number 4.

The penitentiary was created in 1933. It is necessary to complete construction of a new prison for women sooner. In addition to the fact that the buildings of the prison are outdated, places in the barracks are very close to one another. This creates problems in the organization of leisure, and in the use of bathrooms.

Harsh treatment of women takes place. Women are given only 1 hour for afternoon rest. All the rest of the time, the beds must be covered; the women should not be allowed to sit or lie down, even if the prisoner is sick or tired.

According to Bayramly, there are no such strict rules in the male prisons. She noted that there are 400 women in the prison and most of them are accused of serious crimes. Most are convicted in connection with drugs. Many women are also convicted of murder, fraud, theft, etc. Women with children and pregnant women are isolated in a separate building.

What steps should be taken to improve conditions in the female prison? Answering this question, Bayramly noted that first of all it is necessary to create normal conditions of detention, secondly, to appoint a woman head of the colony, and thirdly, to create an atmosphere so that women who have transgressed the laws realize their mistake and have the opportunity to correct themselves.

In practice, the opposite happens. Women re-commit crimes and come back. Nobody should create an atmosphere when women become aggressive. It is necessary to take measures for the social rehabilitation of women after their release, and to ensure their work.

"In any case, the direct duty of the state is to minimize the number of women in prisons. In the meantime, Azerbaijan is among the countries where there are too many female prisoners," concluded Bayramly. --03B06-