Editing Political prisoner (section)

===Other aspects===
The purpose of political prisons and of imprisoning dissidents is to demonstrate the strength of the regime to the dissidents. The regime's opponents are isolated, and stigmatised, frequently abused, and tortured. The goal of such treatment is not just to punish those opposing the regime, but to frighten those who consider opposing the regime by demonstrating the power of the regime by sending a clear warning that objecting is not tolerated, and that the regime is well prepared and ready to punish the objectors through the creation of [[total institution]]s dedicated to hosting political prisoners.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" />

The status of a political prisoner is conveyed to one only after their detention. Before that, potential political prisoners may be referred to as "[[Dissident|dissidents]], [[Revolutionary|revolutionaries]], [[Reformism (historical)|social reformers]], or radical thinkers". The nature of the behavior that leads to political imprisonment is hard to define and can be roughly described as any "activity deemed questionable by ruling [[elite]]s".<ref name=":2" /> Therefore, political prisoners may be officially detained and sentenced for a multitude of different transgressions, rather than a single well-defined crime.<ref name=":2" /> Political prisoners are frequently arrested and tried with a veneer of [[legal process|legality]] where false [[Criminal law|criminal]] [[indictment|charges]], [[Falsified evidence|manufactured evidence]], and unfair trials ([[kangaroo court]]s, [[show trial]]s) are used to disguise the fact that an individual is a political prisoner.<ref name=":1" /> For example, AAPP states that "the motivation behind the arrest of every individual in AAPP's database is political, regardless of the laws they have been sentenced under".<ref name="AAAP" /> This is common in situations which may otherwise be decried nationally and internationally as a [[human rights]] violation or suppression of a [[political dissident]]. Steinert notes that "objective evidence about politically biased imprisonments is chronically sparse considering that governments face substantial incentives to hide repressive practices".<ref name=":1" /> As a rule, governments deny imprisoning individuals for their political activities.<ref name=":2" />
[[File:Turkish journalists protesting imprisonment of their colleagues in 2016.jpg|thumb|Turkish journalists protesting imprisonment of their colleagues on [[Human Rights Day]], 10 December 2016]]
A political prisoner can also be someone who has been denied [[bail]] unfairly, denied [[parole]] when it would reasonably have been given to a prisoner charged with a comparable crime, or special powers may be invoked by the judiciary. Particularly in this latter situation, whether an individual is regarded as a political prisoner may depend upon the subjective political perspective or interpretation of the evidence.{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} Political prisoners can also be imprisoned with no legal veneer by [[Extrajudicial punishment|extrajudicial processes]]{{citation needed|date=July 2021}} or even through executive decisions in the absence of any trials or [[Criminal charge|charges]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /> Some political prisoners need not be imprisoned at all, as they can be subject to prolonged pre-trial [[Detention (imprisonment)|detainment]] instead. Steinert noted that technically, political detainees should be distinguished from political prisoners, but they are often grouped together, and in practical terms, he recommends treating them as ''special types'' of political prisoners.<ref name=":1" /> Examples of such detainees can include individuals such as the former [[Nobel Peace Prize]] Laureate [[Aung San Suu Kyi]], detained for many years without a trial.<ref name=":1" /> Likewise, supporters of Tibetan spiritual leader [[Gedhun Choekyi Nyima]] in the [[11th Panchen Lama controversy]] have called him a "political prisoner", despite the fact that he is not accused of a political offense. He is held under secluded [[house arrest]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4551425.stm | work=BBC News | title=Tibet's missing spiritual guide | date=16 May 2005 | access-date=3 May 2010}}</ref>

Political prisoners may become the subjects of international advocacy and receive aid from various non-governmental organizations.<ref name=":1" /> Criticism from the international public opinion has been shown to facilitate the release of political detainees, or reduce their sentences, but is less effective in securing the release of already-sentenced individuals.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Gruffydd-Jones|first=Jamie J|date=4 March 2021|title=International Attention and the Treatment of Political Prisoners|journal=International Studies Quarterly|volume=65|issue=4|pages=999–1011|doi=10.1093/isq/sqab017|issn=0020-8833|doi-access=free}}</ref> When the status of political prisoner is well known, it can be seen as a form of [[status symbol]]. Some political prisoners purposefully frame themselves as "the imprisoned martyrs and leaders of their movement." Which can safeguard their well-being in prison.<ref name=":0" />