MIRZA SAKIT: IMPRISONMENT NOT A TRAGEDY YET

(interview given by the amnestied satirist Mirza Sakit, Azadlig daily"s journalist, to Turan agency)
- How do you feel at large?
- My release as well as support of my friends, colleagues and political party leaders have once again showed me that my struggle is true and I am ready to fight till the end.
- Your arrest was politically motivated. Do you think it has been executed till the end?
- I don"t think so. The authorities" dirty policy has failed. The last statements of several international organizations as well as the Council of Europe and the U.S. Department of States show that my arrest has brought no success to the authorities, but I think they will continue their strategy.
- What did you learn in jail and what can you say about the conditions in prison?
- First of all I would like to mention the horrible state of the Justice Ministry and, particularly, the colonies. Of course, it is hard to be imprisoned, though I have been treated with respect and even some care. Life in prison has become a new page in my life. It was obvious from there that the criminals rule thecountry.
- Did you have a chance to write poems in jail?
- Yes, once I wrote the satirical poem about illegal actions of the administration of the colony No 14, where I served my term of imprisonment. One of my cellmates has read the poem to several convicts. But one of prisoners passed the poems to the colony"s administration and was placed to the punishment cell for that. Then my poems were regularly printed in Azadlig daily. As the colony"s administration started pressuring me, Azadlig daily stopped printing the poems. But I have lots of poems, stories and satirical articles, which I am going to publish.
- Was physical violence used against you in the colony No 14?
- I was really nervous, when they handcuffed me. But they could not handcuff my tongue. It is clear that it was instruction from the "top." But the administration had a headache after that during a long period.
- Who has provided you support?
- I can say that all political parties, international journalism organizations, colleagues and Reporters Without Borders organizations have provided support to me. Even some officials have backed me and they still secretly send me their regards. Frankly speaking, I did not expect such a backing and I am sure that it was worth to struggle for democracy.
- Why did you refuse of the amnesty?
- When I have heard that several journalists could be amnestied, I was happy. But when absolutely unknown people have been amnestied, I felt insulted. It was unfair to amnesty me two months before end of my term of imprisonment. On the same day I have refused of the amnesty and I stressed in my statement that I don"t need humanism from Heydarism.
- What are your future plans?
- I am going to publish my poems. There are also some plans, which can be carried into life through electronic media. I would like to say that it is not a tragedy to get into prison, but release from prison is not happiness. But I feel happy, because today I am free today and because yesterday I was in jail.