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Prison, At Prison, In Prison (part II)

January 9, 2007

cixe_n1.gif-What a smell. Let them repair these chairs to sit on. I have been standing for twelve hours already and cannot keep on my feet any more,-said a woman, holding two heavy bags.

There is some wire binder stretched at the beginning of the queue. Passer-by should have to keep the third queue to hand in the parcel and then wait for a reply. Uniformed people are standing there and laughing loudly.

 -Somebody has fainted, has anybody got water?-people started to shout.

-Let her sit down on the chair.

-Here is Nabeghlavi (mineral water) and spray on her.

The woman lied down on the board which immediately broke and she fell down.

-Have you taken photo of it?-asked a man in tears.

Having taken some photos bailiff noticed the camera and whispered something to his friend. In two minutes people in uniforms approached me.

-Hei, why are you taking photos?
-I am a journalist and making reportage
-What is reportage? Leave the place immediately. You cannot take photos in the area. Do
  not you know?
-No, I do not know. Show me a prohibition sign?
-It is not necessary to put up such notice here.
-Which law banns me to take a photo?
-It does not need one, it is obvious, anyway.
-There must be some prohibition sign.
-It is near the administration office.

People started to shout. Everybody forgot their parcels and they drew their attention to our argument. “What do you want, guy. She is doing her job…” “Let her shoot and everybody will see what’s going on…” they were shouting.

Some more uniformed people attacked us; thus, we had to leave the place. On our way out, a man stopped me saying “Wait a little and I will tell you something.”

We had to wait for a long time…cixe_n3.gif

He was a father of one prisoner. I interviewed him in the street as he did not want the bailiff to see him.

Respondent: “One has to be inserted on the list two days before, as a rule. The list is drawn by the people standing in the queue. One has to arrive at 7:00 a.m. in order to include the first ten people on the list. After that s/he knows when his/her turn comes, however, it is not the end. The list is always reviewed at 12:00 a.m. If you are not in the queue by that time you will be omitted or replaced in the end. The door opens at 10:00 a.m. On the next day s/he has to stand in the queue from seven till the door opens. Strange people, arriving at the place on the very day, [they are not on the list as well] start arguing and do not care about the list, at all. Some of them arrive from villages and cannot stay in Tbilisi for a night and they try to get in prison, by all means. Nearly 300 people can enter a day.

As for the queues inside the building, you have to pass two halls to get to the window where you leave parcels. In the second hall there are a lot of people. If you enter the first hall at 10:00 a.m. then you will probably get in the second one by 15:00 p.m. Bailiffs are keeping the order in the halls. Finally, a form has to be filled in, which gives information about visitor and what is in the parcel. Everything must be written in details. Visitor must put everything on the table from the bag. You never know what they will allow you to send in.

They can find reason for prohibition. Visitor cannot send a parcel weighting more than fifteen kilos.

cixe_n2.gifFor example, last time, they did not let me send in salted beans. Everything must be in plastic jars. You cannot send sugar, crops, bread, khachapuri, and juice. Last time, I brought hot-water heater, tap and table cloth. My son asked me the table cloth in order to stretch it on the window, it is too cold there.

My son can sleep only in the third shift [prisoners sleep in beds in turns because of lack of beds]. I bring him the linen twice a month. It is too cold inside, but they did not let me to send him a warm waist coat. I bring parcels once a month and one visit costs 200 GEL. I buy herbs each time, because they do not receive any vitamins. This time, I have sent two wheels of cheese, fruit, and herbs, two kilos of sausage and two packs of cigarettes.

If visitor sends in medicine, it is the most terrible experience. Visitor has to take a separate line. You give the medicine to a doctor and s/he takes it in. Having handed everything, one has to wait for the bailiff for twenty minutes to get a letter and dirty linen”…

(part III) http://www.humanrights.ge/eng_/articles.php?id=546

Eka Gulua

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