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Convict Nana Parchukashvili started hunger-strike

August 19, 2015
 
Nino Kimadze

On August 17 and 18 Human Rights Center received two letters of Nestan Verulashvili, director of semi-closed and semi-open penitentiary establishment # 5 for female convicts. The prison director informed the organization about hunger-strike of the convict Nana Parchukashvili.

The letter was enclosed with the copy of Nana Parchukashvili’s notification to the Minister of Prison about her hunger-strike.

“I am under permanent oppression, blackmailed and provoked by the director of Prison # 5 and her favorite (several ten) convicts; they break into my cell but finally I am rebuked for incidents; despite many requests they do not save video-records and now I am deprived of possibility to prove my innocence. Since General Inspection at the Ministry of Prison has not responded to my complaints yet, I start hunger-strike,” the convicted woman wrote to the Minister.

In accordance to the notification, the convicted woman requests: 1) to stop blackmailing and oppression on her by the prison director, prison personnel and several prisoners, who provoke her according to the prison director’s instructions; 2. General Inspection of the Prison Ministry shall study the assault case on her on July 23, 2015; 3. Social service of the prison shall start working at 10:00 am instead 12:00 pm.

The convicted woman also writes that she refuses to take morning-evening examinations in protest.

Prison director Nestan Verulashvili sent notification about Nana Parchukashvili’s hunger-strike and copy of her letter to the Ministry to Public Defender’s Office, Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association, head of General Inspection at the Ministry of Prison and chairperson of the Human Rights Committee of the Parliament. The letter was dated by August 12. On August 13 the prison director sent the same information to the lawyer of Human Rights Center Tamar Avaliani too.

Although the prison administration notified the relevant institutions and organizations about the hunger-strike of the prisoner, Human Rights Center received the letters five days later on August 17 and 18.

On August 18, humanrights.ge contacted Nestan Verulashvili to check the information. She said Nana Parchukashvili is still on hunger-strike. She added nobody had abused the prisoner – “you can find documentation at the Ministry of Corrections and Probation which exclude possibility of any violence or oppression on Nana Parchukashvili by prison personnel or other inmates.” The prison director called on all interested parties to make conclusions only based on the study of provided materials.

Ministry of Prison made a short comment on the issue. “General Inspection of the Ministry has already started investigation into the fact based on the notification of the prisoner N. P. of the Prison #5. The General Inspection will publish official conclusion in near future,” the press-center of the Ministry stated.

Convict Nana Parchukashvili is a lawyer and she actively advocates eradication of improper treatment in the prison # 5 during so-called complete examination. She has informed monitors of Human Rights Center and Public Defender’s Office about these problems and said that during examination female prisoners are naked and compelled to kneel down. Parchukashvili found legal basis of this procedure – decree of the Minister of prison and appealed it at the constitutional court with the support of the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association.

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