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Prisoners Brutally Beaten for Testifying to the Opposition

April 10, 2006

Prisoners Brutally Beaten for Testifying to the Opposition

Prisoners who remain in detention after the bloody special operation in prison № 5, on March 27th, are being treated the same as before. They are being beaten. This is done because of testimonies some prisoners gave to members of the parliamentary opposition; providing them with concrete facts about the operation that took place. Neither relatives nor attorneys have been allowed to enter the prison.

The families of the assaulted prisoners contacted the Human Rights Information & Documentation Centre and asked for help - they fear revenge and did not identify themselves. They said that if the administration hears about the source of such information, the people responsible would be in a very bad situation indeed. “They did not allow us to see the prisoners, three days ago they beat six prisoners, who implore and beg us for help. We can’t do anything. My son told me he had talked with a member of the opposition and administration did not like it - that was the reason for the reprisals” - says the mother of the assaulted prisoner.

The attorney of the above prisoner asked the administration three times to allow him to enter the prison and see the client. He did not receive an answer. The other five attorneys have the same complaints.

On April 5, 2006 the attorneys and relatives gathered in front of prison № 5, demanding information about the prisoners. Their efforts were in vain as they could not find out any news.

In spite of opposition demands that the head of Parliament create an investigative committee, nothing has happened. The opposition has therefore started its own independent investigation. For this reason, MP Koka Kukava, a representative of the opposition, entered the prison. “The prisoners did not tell us that they were beaten after our meeting, but I can’t deny this happened. I will enter the prison by any means necessary and find out everything. I was in some of the cells - they are very afraid. They gave me bullets which had been used during the special operation. They also told me the reason why this chaos began. They said that the reason was that a prisoner was beaten in the prison hospital. This is not the first time Bacho Akhalia has violated human rights. I will send these facts to international organizations”- said the MP.

Elene Tevdoradze, the Head of the Parliamentary committee for Human Rights does not deny that prisoners are beaten in the prisons. Though, she says the prisoners beat each other: “I have seen the prisoner, who was beaten by the others. The prisoners told me that they had to beat him up, he felt awful without taking his drugs so they were just fed up with him.” 

The Ombudsmen, Sozar Subari, made a critical announcement regarding the above facts. He visited the prisoners in Prison № 7 where they had been taken from the prison hospital. He met with the following prisoners: L Tsindeliani, Z. Vibliani, G. Avaliani, P. Mamardashvili, M. Zedelashvili and N. Makharadze. On March 26th they were all brutally beaten by the staff of the Penitentiary Department. They had trace of physical violence on their bodies and faces. They stated that lay on iron beds without any mattresses on them. Despite the facts that they needed treatment, the doctor was only able to enter the prison thanks to the public defender and was able to give them medicine. The medicine they received is not enough however.  

“The condition of the prisoner Zedelashvili is extremely bad.  He is paralyzed. He can’t move, that’s why he can’t take care of himself. In this situation a nurse should be found to take care of him, his human rights and dignity are being violated”- states Public Defender.

The public defender of Georgia has addressed the general prosecutor, recommending an investigation into these facts.

Eka Gulua 

 

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