Bacho Akhalaia Was Questioned at the Trial on Prison Riot Case

Salome Chkheidze

Tbilisi City Court is discussing third criminal case against Bacho Akhalaia. On September 10, accused Akhalaia was questioned about 2006 prison riot; by that time Akhalaia was head of penitentiary department.

Tbilisi City Court held essential discussion of the criminal case into the episode of prison riot against Bacho Akhalaia and other accused – Megis Kardava, Davit Chakua and Revaz Charbadze.

“By that time, at least one thief-in-law was in every penitentiary establishment and ruled the system; they collected money, played cards and oppressed other inmates. We wanted to seize this power from them and wanted to place all thieves-in-law in one establishment. We started their transportation at night in order to avoid incidents but it caused protest, shout and mass turmoil. Those thieves were already convicted for organizing the riot and now I am blamed for the same crime,” Bacho Akhalaia said during interrogation.

Head of Akhalaia’s lifeguards Teimuraz Takidze was also questioned at the trial; he said he was always with Akhalaia and during prison riot too. He said Akhalaia did not abuse his authority on that day.

On September 9, judge listened to the introductory speeches of the prosecutor and defense side. Prosecutor Revaz Nadoi presented conclusion about accusation which states that Akhalaia, Charbadze, Kardava and Chakua were accused of abuse of power (article 333) and torture of imprisoned people (article 1441).

“In spring of 2006, former chairman of the penitentiary department Bachana Akhalaia decided to hush up the spread information about torture and discrimination of prisoners by him. Akhalaia ordered deputy director of prison # 7 Megis Kardava to bring convicted thief-in-law Platon Mamardashvili to his office.  Akhalaia shared his plant with convicted Mamardashvili and ordered him to meet prisoner Zurab Vibliani, so called “supervisor” of the prison, in the prison corridor in front of the preliminarily installed video-camera. Mamardashvili had to speak with Vibliani about unbearable conditions created for criminal lords in the prison and had to blame Akhalaia in it. Then he had to offer Vibliani to find a prisoner, who would have injured himself and then blamed Akhalaia in his physical assault. Afterwards, Akhalaia would have published the video-footage of Vibliani and Mamardashvili’s conversation to convince society that the spread rumors about inhuman treatment of prison inmates were invented by criminal lords to discredit the penitentiary department,” the prosecutor said in his introductory speech.

According to the prosecutor, after Mamardashvili and Vibliani really met each other but the former did not implement Akhalaia’s order, the latter decided to punish him. In accordance with the Prosecutor’s Office at 1:00 am on March 27, 2006 Bachana Akhalaia together with Megis Kardava and Revaz Charbadze, director of Prison # 7 Giorgi Poladashvili and several members of special unit arrived at the jail hospital and demanded to bring convicted P. Mamardasvhili and Z. Vibliani, so-called “prison supervisors” Giorgi Avaliani and Levan Tsindeliani to the director’s working room to punish them. The officials cut off hair of the prisoners to discredit them and put in their pocket. Then Akhalaia puked Avaliani in the face and the prisoner slapped him in the face. As a result of it Akhalaia, Charbadze, Kardava and special unit officers ruthlessly beat Avaliani, Vibliani and Mamardashvili. Then they dragged beaten prisoners to the prison yard and ruthlessly beat them in front of other prisoners.

According to the investigation, prisoners actively protested the illegal activities of Akhalaia and senior officials of the penitentiary administrated and it turned into riot in Prisons # 1 and 5 and in jail hospital.

Next trial on Bachana Akhalaia’s case is scheduled at 2:00 pm on September 17 and parties will present final speeches on it.