Lembergs' health condition at the Olaine hospital is serious but stable

In the last few days, Aivars Lembergs has not been actively treated in the prison hospital in Olaine, but his general health condition has been monitored - Neatkarīgā has managed to find out from his relatives.

As is known, despite repeated requests to provide Lembergs with a booster vaccine, this was not done, as a result of which he, like many other inmates of Riga Central Prison, became infected with Covid-19.

According to Lembergs' relatives, he was not examined by doctors on Saturday and Sunday, but his oxygen level and blood pressure were regularly measured by hospital staff. The measurements were taken three times a day - in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening. The oxygen levels were sufficient but highly fluctuating.

A. Lembergs is said to have a severe and deep cough. Despite feeling unwell, A. Lembergs attempts to perform the physiotherapeutic exercises for opening the lungs and massage that he is familiar with. In general, A. Lembergs feels unwell, lacking energy and strength. His anxiety is increased by the uncertainty about the treatment plan and whether there will be one. As is well known, A. Lembergs is suffering not only from Covid-19, but also from hernia since September 5, which has not been treated until now.

A. Lembergs' defense lawyer Māris Grudulis released a statement on Friday. In it, he stated that "Aivars Lembergs is being subjected to the irresponsible Covid-19 policy of the Ministry of Justice. Despite the fact that Aivars Lembergs has been regularly asking for a booster vaccine for several months now, and his lawyers have submitted a request to the Riga Central Prison, these requests have simply been ignored. Despite the fact that Aivars Lembergs, due to his age and serious illnesses, belongs to the risk group for which the vaccine should be provided as a priority, the policy pursued by the Ministry of Justice irresponsibly created all the conditions for Aivars Lembergs not to receive the booster vaccine and to get infected with Covid-19. It is unequivocally clear that in case of a severe course of Covid-19 disease, the necessary treatment will not be available to him in prison. The Riga Regional Court was also informed of these risks almost a month earlier, but it completely ignored the arguments of Aivars Lembergs' defense and did not even respond to them in its decision of November 15. For more than 9 months, Aivars Lembergs has been in detention and has not received the necessary medical treatment, which has subjected him to constant pain and suffering. Although Article 95 of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia provides that torture and other cruel or degrading treatment of a person is prohibited, this provision does not apply to Aivars Lembergs, a politician who is in opposition to the ruling coalition."

On Friday, Neatkarīgā addressed the following questions to the Minister of Justice Jānis Bordāns: what measures the Minister and the Ministry have taken to reduce and eliminate the incidence of Covid-19 among prisoners housed in prison administration units; how the Minister can explain why Aivars Lembergs, the Minister's political opponent imprisoned in Riga Central Prison, has not received a booster vaccine from the end of the summer until now, despite repeated requests to do so; what has the Minister done so far, and what does he plan to do, to dispel suspicions that the failure to provide prisoners with booster vaccines is a deliberate attempt to worsen the health of his political opponent, Aivars Lembergs?

We received the following reply from the Minister, through his advisor Andris Vitenburgs: "All prisoners are treated equally with regard to vaccinations. All the necessary basic information about the Central Prison and prisons in general has already been provided today by the Prison Administration. This can be found on its website: https://www.ievp.gov.lv/lv/jaunums/rigas-centralcietuma-konstateti-27-jauni-inficesanas-gadijumi. Further information on Covid-19 restrictions and changes in detention facilities can also be obtained from the competent authority - the Prison Administration."

Regarding the right to receive the Covid-19 booster vaccine, Neatkarīgā turned to Ombudsman Juris Jansons on Friday with the following questions: "Do all prisoners in the structures of the Prison Administration under the Ministry of Justice have the right to receive the Covid-19 booster vaccine; in case such a right is not provided, who should bear responsibility for it; is it possible and permissible in our country that political scores are settled through the distribution of booster vaccines - in this particular case between the Minister of Justice and the prisoner Aivars Lembergs?

To the above questions, we received the following reply from the Ombudsman, through Evita Berķe, Head of the Communications and International Cooperation Division of his office: "Prisoners have the exact same right to receive a booster vaccine as anyone in society. For detailed information on the procedure for receiving the booster vaccine, please contact the Prison Administration."

In the two days since the news of A. Lembergs' illness broke, Neatkarīgā journalists have received numerous messages asking them to send people's good wishes to A. Lembergs. A lady from Liepa parish in Cēsis municipality, who has helped several Covid-19 sufferers to recover, asked to organize a campaign and deliver lemons, quinces and cranberries to A. Lembergs, the use of which, in her experience, is very helpful in getting rid of the awful disease. According to her, A. Lembergs should not only recover quickly, but also take over the helm of government as soon as possible in order to put a stop to the nonsense that was going on in the country.

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