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BAKU. April 13, 2009: Turan Information Agency interviewed poet satirist Mirza Sakit, immediately after his release from jail. The poet, well-known for his anti-government satiric poems was arrested and convicted to three years of imprisonment based on fabricated drug possession charges. International organizations, including the OSCE and the Council of Europe repeatedly called on the Azeri government to set Mirza Sakit free.

- How do you feel the freedom after your release from jail?
- My release, as well as support of my friends, colleagues and political party leaders have once again showed me that my struggle is righteous 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 dirty policy of the government failed. The last statements of several international organizations as well as the Council of Europe and the U.S. Department of State show that my arrest has brought no success to the Azeri government, but I think they will continue their ways.

- 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 prison colonies. Of course, it is hard to be imprisoned, though I have been treated with respect and even with some care. Life in prison has become a new page in my life. It was obvious from there that the criminals rule the country.

- Did you have a chance to write poems in jail?

- Yes, once I wrote the satiric 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 I was placed to the punishment cell for that. Then my poems were regularly printed at the Azadlig daily. As the colony’s administration started pressuring me, Azadlig daily stopped printing the poems. However, I have lots of poems, stories and satirical articles from that period, which I am going to publish.

- Were you subject to physical violence in 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 of time.

- Who supported you?

- I can say that all opposition 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 is worth to struggle for democracy.

- Why did you refuse to accept the amnesty?

- When I heard that several journalists could be amnestied, I was happy. But when absolutely unknown people were amnestied, I felt insulted. It was unfair to amnesty me two months before the end of my term of imprisonment. On the same day I rejected the amnesty and 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, either. However, I feel happy, because I am free today and because I was in jail yesterday (Turan).