"The main thing is that he comes out"

Wife Azat Miftakhov - about life in the colony and the status of "offended"

On January 18, 2021, Azat Miftakhov was sentenced to 6 years in a colony on charges of hooliganism. The investigation, on the basis of the testimony of classified witnesses, claims that the mathematician attacked the office of the United Russia party, broke the window and threw a smoke bomb there. Recently, the wife of Miftakhova Elena Gorban said that the FSB handed over his intimate photos to the prisoners. Due to his bisexuality, Miftakhov ended up in the captured Caste.

-Tell us, what difficulties does Azat experience because of its “status” in the colony?

- In the status of the “offended” he ended up from the very beginning of his stay in the colony. “Activists” - prisoners who work for operatives - contributed in every possible way. There are generally accepted concepts of how people with status should behave. For example, when the whole detachment goes somewhere, the status are the last. They have their own dishes, their personal items - a haircut machine, for example, their own. They cannot use some common objects. Not to say what is terrible, but unpleasant.

In their detachment, in general, it is not accepted that people from the total mass of someone lift up, humiliate. This is suppressed by them. But there are always personalities who do not mind assert themselves at the expense of a person, to show rudeness. There are conflicts, even fights have been. It’s not that it is completely nearby, but it happens that someone is not very reacting to Azata, but he thinks that it is due to status. Such moments do not improve life.

But Azat may not do some work. Tulets are usually sent to the cleaning of toilets, but this never happened with it. He is in his right to refuse. Somehow they have it that it is more loyal to the administration that people agree to such work.

And attention helps his person. Not that everyone knew that he was political prisoner and that they were following him. But still, if it were not for publicity, not attention to his person, he would be tougher.

- Does Azat have friends or comrades?

- Yes. There is also a person with status - his closest friend. There are people from the total mass who communicate with him. There is no hard separation, a lot of adequate. It is the status of only 10 people. In Azat, communication is easier with them, they have some kind of their common fund there.

- How do your dates go, how do you see?

- We are all right with this. Long dates give every three months, short -term - every two. Recently, in May, it was the last long. Between the dates we have calls, call each other literally every other day.

- What are you usually talking about? What does Azat say?

- These 15 minutes fly so quickly that nothing can be discussed during this time. First of all, it is interesting to tell Azatom not to yourself, but to find out about me, about my relatives. They have smaller events ... In fact, in fact, he has not happened to the colony in the colony recently-as he worked on the Schweik and it works.

Because of this boredom, rumors appear in the detachment. Someone invents that, for example, the colony will soon be closed, disbanded or something else. In connection with these rumors, there were assumptions that people with status would begin to crush more strongly. We seriously discussed that it would be necessary to take some actions, to betray the situation. But it turned out to be rumors.

“Did they get right out of nowhere?”

- It is incomprehensible, but yes. People cook there, someone came up with something, heard the next one-and flew.

- How does Azat are in general, now it has become easier?

- Differently. In recent months, it is normal in terms of his well -being, the weather is sunny - sooner or later it will be freed. We had a date recently. Everything is better.

But there were difficult, depressive moments. I had to drink antidepressants. In winter it was worse ...

And at the beginning, when he got there, it was hard: a regime place, with a hierarchy.

- How did you help Azatu experience these difficult times?

- It is good to help when there is a connection, calls, a voice, and even better to see yourself live, personally. At least on a brief date. At some point, the antidepressants were. Now everything is still good with calls, and there were times when he could call once every few months. There are still letters, but they go for a very long time ..

- Is there a library?

- Yeah! Recently, in this library, he found textbooks in chemistry and repeated the entire course. I found biology textbooks, I also repeated. And there is fiction.

-Is there some kind of promoted set of books?

- There are few books, of course. But enough. There is what to read.

- What are you passing through Azatu?

- The package is 20 kilograms. And a parcel of 5 kilograms. Bimonthly. Azat expresses some of my wishes, I collect a product basket, a duffel basket. For those few weeks, while the package will go, problems can happen with products. I sent many, many tangerines for the New Year, not everyone arrived alive. Nuts, dried fruits, things, personal hygiene items.

- How did Azat spent the New Year in the colony?

- There were two of them. As far as I remember, both times they were not allowed to sit up to 12. Hell at 22 hours Iron. No president’s speech.

- So thank God!

- It's true! But everyone was deprived of the opportunity. And so they set the table there, ordered some waffle cakes, made a cake with condensed milk. Invented what they could. Sausages ordered more in advance. They also have a store on the territory of the colony, sometimes it turns out even to buy sausage, but not always.

- Tell us how you yourself hold on?

-It is hard for two reasons: because of the separation itself, I really want to be with a loved one. Especially after the meeting, this is felt. And the second reason is difficult because of a suspended state.

Either it will be released this year, or they will not be released. I am unemployed, there are only some part-time jobs. I don’t want to look: it is not clear what will happen to us next. There is no stability, no certainty even by trifles. And what will happen to the azat is also incomprehensible. Either hope that this will all end, or wait for a new round.

- Tell us about brief dates - are they very short?

- Formally for 4 hours. But in general, less. While the checkpoint is going through, you should have and have a place. If someone came with the transfer in the morning, they may first accept the gear.

The year before last, when I arrived, it turned out little, because people also came on a date, and also wanted to transmit the gear. They had to take a gearing for half an hour. One employee-inspector works for this. It would seem that 4 hours are a lot. But they fly instantly. There is always not enough time.

- And how do long dates go?

- Long - three days in one room, a joint life. With home food. There they conduct a complete inspection of all the things that you bring, and then leave.

- Probably, after that it becomes hard?

- Yes ... evening of the first day, two days and the morning of the last day. Three days are stretched for 4 days. On the third day, we are already starting to be sad. By evening, it is completely sad. In the morning there is a final report: less and less hours. We try to collect all things in advance and sit a little at the end.

- Now you live in Moscow?

- Yes. I moved, for some time I lived in Kirov to be closer to my husband. But in the end, difficulties arose, returned home.

“Do you already know what will you do when Azat is free?”

- First of all, of course, I would like to just be near. Relatives of Azat are waiting for him very much. The first point is to call on them, because only his mother and sister saw him in the colony with him. And then I do not know ... on the situation we will look. I am for a conditional time, a disorder of the country.

- To emigrate is not an option, it turns out?

“I can’t if Azat can a question.” He is not even sure that he will be given to do it. Let's see. The main thing is that he comes out.