CRITICS OF RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN DENOUNCE EXACT SAME PRACTICES USED BY IDAHO DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION OFFICIALS IN WITHHOLDING PRISONER RECORDS
When Alexei Navalny, a
long time critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and who once
claimed that someone from his government poisoned his underwear, died in
prison last week of [as yet] undisclosed causes shortly after taking a
walk on the prison grounds north of the Arctic circle. Since then,
thousands of people - including U.S. President Joe Biden - have directly
and publicly blamed Putin for the death, despite there being no
objective evidence that Putin, or any other [Russian] government
official was ever involved.
In an interview on CNN the day after
Navalny's death, another U.S. backed critic of Putin stated that because
the Russian Prison Service refused to immediately release any video
(that may or may not exist) of Navalny in the hours preceding his death,
there must be a cover up by the Russian government. Further, family
members of Navalny point to the refusal of prison officials to release
the body until after an investigation is complete as evidence of
wrongdoing by the Kremlin.
Ironically, the Idaho Department of
Correction has and continues to resist the release of any video(s) of
assaults - including those that result in serious injury or death - of
Idaho prisoners. This includes (but is certainly not limited to) video
of the 'mysterious' death of an Idaho prisoner - in his cell - in
December of 2023 at the Idaho State Correctional Center. To date, no one
has been charged in that death, and the 'investigation', continues two
months later.
According to a notice posted on the IDOC's Public
Record Portal, accompanied by a STOP [sign] symbol "Any video or audio
records are exempt for [sic] disclosure per Idaho Code 74-105
(4)(a)(i)." This statute [§74-105 (4)(a)(i)] ACTUALLY exempts "Records
of which the public interest in confidentiality, public safety, security
and habilitation clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure as
identified pursuant to the authority of the state board of correction
under section 20-212, Idaho Code."
This is far different from
the conclusionary statements posted by IDOC on their site. Indeed, it is
the COURTS that would eventually determine whether the confidentiality
of the recordings outweigh the public interest in disclosure - but only
IF the Requester of the records is denied same, and files a timely
petition to compel the disclosure pursuant to Idaho Code §74-115. By
posting this STOP symbol and citing to statute on their public records
portal, the IDOC is simply attempting to bluff the public into believing
all audio/video records are exempt from release to members of the
public.
Based on the IDOC's/Idaho's blanket refusal to release
video of prisoners being beaten and/or killed, or bodies not being
released to family until an investigation is concluded, should Idaho
Governor Brad Little or some other government official be accused of
these assaults or deaths? Would such unfounded accusations be subject to
libel or slander litigation?
According to the narrative the U.S.
government would have taxpayers and voters believe, any failure to hold
President Putin personally responsible for the death of Navalny would
be a win for Russia, and a death-blow to Ukraine. In fact, the death of
Navalny, is now little more than a siren song to pressure Congress to
fund Ukraine with even more American tax dollars and military equipment -
[de facto] payoffs to keep quiet Biden family secrets held by Ukrainian
government and corporate officials.
If the U.S. is going to
throw rocks at the Kremlin for the death of Alexei Navalny while serving
time in prison after having been duly convicted under Russian law, why
not come clean with what is really going on in prisons here in the
states?
_______________________
If you would like to
receive public records from the Idaho Department of Correction, you can
utilize the Public Records Portal on the Department's website at
www.idoc.idaho.gov