Foto: BB.LV / Человек за решеткой
What exactly happened is not disclosed by the prison. "The protest was triggered by an incident that occurred on October 30, when additional security measures were applied to a prisoner after an event in one of the units," the official statement from Tartu prison says. According to the director of Tartu prison, Merle Ulst, in such cases, the freedom of movement of the prisoner may be restricted, or handcuffs may be used during their escort. However, this case has caused discontent among other prisoners. They stated that they refuse to work, will not go out for a walk at the scheduled time, and will stop eating. The prison administration regarded this collective disobedience as a threat to security. "Such a unified readiness of prisoners to respond to measures applied to another prisoner indicates broader disobedience and may pose a threat to the security of the prison," the prison director's order states. In response to the disobedience, the prison administration decided to restrict the morning free movement time for the entire problematic unit. If previously the cells in the unit were opened at 6:30, starting today they will be opened at 8:00. Otherwise, the daily routine will not change. According to Ulst, this is not an extraordinary measure, but a regular adjustment of the prison's internal order. "There are uniform rules for everyone in the prison, and compliance with them is not voluntary," she said. "We listen to the concerns and questions of the prisoners and explain the decisions made, but issues of internal order are determined by the prison itself." She noted that there had been previous instances of non-compliance with orders and inappropriate behavior in the mentioned unit, but these did not lead to serious consequences or injuries. "However, repeated violations entail consequences, and in this case, we decided to temporarily restrict the morning free movement time in the unit," Ulst emphasized. She stressed that the reason for the restriction is not related to a lack of staff. Although the director's order mentions the need to ensure a sufficient number of employees in the unit, according to Ulst, this concerns a specific morning period when the shift change occurs. "Free movement during this time is limited to ensure a smooth shift change," she explained. Although some prisoners threatened to refuse food during the protest, the prison administration does not consider the situation a hunger strike. According to Ulst, several prisoners missed individual meals, but it did not escalate to a mass protest. After the change in the daily routine, prisoners from the problematic unit will be able to move freely for ten hours a day. The temporary order will remain in effect as long as the prison administration deems it necessary. Last week, 11 more prisoners from Sweden arrived at Tartu prison, bringing their total number to 52.
