On October 24, at 12:00 pm, a press-conference will be held on the case of former political prisoner Vakhtang Maisaia in the conference hall of the Human Rights House Tbilisi. Lawyer Tamar Avalyani of the Human Rights Center protects his rights in the frame of the project implemented by the HRHT (“Provision of free legal aid to indigent population of Georgia”).

On October 21, based on Human Rights Center’s recommendation, Vakhtang Maisaia officially addressed to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office to investigate his torture facts during imprisonment.

In accordance to the European Convention on Human Rights, signatory states have absolute responsibility to combat torture and also to timely and effectively investigate torture facts and punish perpetrators. Unfortunately, investigative bodies do not properly implement their responsibilities and timely and effective investigation of torture facts is still a problem. Chief Prosecutor’s Office does not carefully study the complaints of the torture victim prisoners and former prisoners or prolongs the procedures to expose the criminals.

During preliminary detention in the Special Operative Department’s office and afterwards, in the penitentiary establishment senior officers of the investigative bodies and penitentiary establishments used different methods to torture, inhumanly treat and degrade Vakhtang Maisaia.

Human Rights Center believes that investigation of Vakhtang Maisaia’s torture fact and exposing perpetrators in it will create precedent for other former prisoners, whose torture facts were not yet investigated.

Vakhtang Maisaia will personally attend the press-conference and speak about the concrete facts.

Project “Provision of free legal aid to Georgian indigent population” is implemented by HRHT member organizations Article 42 of the Constitution and Human Rights Center.

Human Rights House Tbilisi