Who is responsible for the lives of political prisoners?

The Federal Penitentiary Service (FSIN) of Russia announced on February 16 that Alexei Navalny, a prominent opposition leader, died in a correctional colony located in the village of Harp in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. Death Bulk, which occurred during the punishment, appointed after his arrest on his return to Russia from Germany in February 2021, has drawn renewed attention to the treatment of political prisoners and their safety in authoritarian regimes.

The untimely death of Navalny, one of the leading leaders of the Russian opposition, not only caused universal mourning among his supporters, but also reignited urgent conversations about the responsibility of states towards political prisoners. The specter of political persecution looms in all its glory, casting a shadow over the fundamental principles of justice, human rights and democratic governance.

Who is ultimately responsible for ensuring the safety and well-being of persons detained for their political beliefs? What measures can be taken to prevent further tragedies and protect the dignity and rights of all prisoners, regardless of their ideological beliefs?

Rufat Safarov, human rights defender and head of the Line of Defense organization, in an interview with ASTNA, expresses a valuable point of view on the urgent need for reliable guarantees and mechanisms to protect political prisoners and ensure respect for their fundamental rights.

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Question: Who is responsible for the lives of political prisoners?

Answer: Investigators who have initiated illegal criminal cases against political prisoners, submitted petitions, representations on the election of a preventive measure, ensuring this, judges passing unfair sentences, heads of penitentiary institutions, pre-trial detention centers and political authorities giving instructions to the entire corps are responsible for the lives of political prisoners. There are some political prisoners for whom illegal isolation from society becomes possible on the basis of the political will of the head of State himself. In this sense, the head of the government is responsible for the life and health of Gubad Ibadoglu, Tofik Yagublu, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, Nazim Baydamirli, journalists convicted in the “AbzasMedia” case, journalists arrested on trumped-up charges in the “Channel 13” case, the head of Afiyaddin Mammadov's Desk.

Question: Navalny died. But will any step be taken against Russia, against Putin, after that? As a last resort, a sanction.  But is this the way out?

Answer: Aleksey Navalny was killed.  I suppose if Putin ordered it, then the perpetrators were officials of the penitentiary service. It is no coincidence that after the news of Navalny's death, Vladimir Putin promoted two deputy heads of the Federal Penitentiary Service and two heads of departments. It seems that the range of sanctions will be expanded.  President Biden's grave insult to Putin in his speech, Putin's flight on a strategic bomber capable of carrying nuclear weapons, and the reception of Yulia Navalnaya by world leaders suggests that an even deeper crisis will occur in the near future, which will end, to put it mildly, with serious losses to Putin's Russia.

Question: Medical examination of political prisoners has begun in a pre-trial detention center  Azerbajan. Apparently, what happened to Navalny scared the leadership. Should we be happy about this or upset?

Answer: Yes, after the news of Navalny's death spread in Russia, Azerbaijan began to conduct a medical examination of political prisoners, take blood for analysis, etc., reported to the public the relatives of Tofik Yagublu. During a telephone conversation with Nazim Baidamirli's wife, Farida Khanum, it turned out that the environmental prisoner refused to undergo a medical examination conducted by the doctors of the pre-trial detention center and to give them material for analysis. He demanded to invite his doctors for these procedures. It is clear that those implementing the punishment-execution policy, in general, the political authorities are concerned, and there are enough reasons for this.

Question: But we also had cases of deaths of political prisoners. The case of Mehman Galandarov.  Has anyone been punished for this?

Answer: I remember the death of Mehman Galandarov, Faina Kungurova. Both were political prisoners.  Let's also remember the believer Sabuhi Salimov, who died last year as a result of a hunger strike. There are other cases of a non-political nature. So far, no official has been punished.  With the current system of government operating outside the rule of law, I do not expect any official to be held accountable. The punishment of these individuals does not meet the principles that guide the repressive system of government...

Question: What needs to be done so that the government and the authorities understand the value of a citizen and a person, regardless of who they are, what are their political views and  beliefs?

Answer: It is necessary to respect the right to choose and be elected. It is necessary to reform the branches of government that receive a mandate from the people, achieve the independence of the courts and put an end to harassment for statements. In short, it is necessary to restore the model of a democratic and rule-of-law state. Unfortunately, Azerbaijan is currently governed by a system and branches of government that are completely alien to democratic and fair governance.