Political prisoner

A political prisoner is a person imprisoned for political activities, or because they oppose or criticize the government in their country.^[1]

PACE definition

In October 2012, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) passed a resolution to define "political prisoner". A person in prison is a "political prisoner:^[2]

• if they are in prison against the European Convention on Human Rights and its Protocols (ECHR), especially freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of expression and information, freedom of assembly and association;
• if they are in prison for political reasons and not for a crime
• if, because of political reasons, the length or conditions of imprisonment do not fit the reason given for why they are in prison
• if, because of politics, they are in prison in a discriminatory way, compared to other people
• if they are in prison because of an unfair trial connected with political reasons

References