The Penitentiary Department is Accused of Faking Documents

The Penitentiary Department is Accused of Faking Documents

Tbilisi, June 26, 2005.MediaNews. The NGO “HRIDC,” based on information provided by Tbilisi Prison No.1, has published the statistics of those suffering serious physical injury upon their arrival in prison.

According to this data, 38 persons with bodily injuries were admitted to this prison in January 2004, 39 in February, 48 in March, 43 in April, 38 in May, 45 in June, 88 in July, 13 in August and 16 in September.

The Penitentiary Department has elsewhere published the number of the prisoners with physical injuries as totalled over the entire penitentiary system (all 16 penitentiary institutions including Prison No. 1).  NGOs claim their published number does not correspond to reality.

For example, in April 2004, 43 people with serious bodily injuries were taken into Prison No. 1 alone. And during the same month, according to information provided by the Penitentiary Department, only 41 cases were officially recorded.

The data provided by the Penitentiary Department about the magnitude of recorded injuries throughout the entire penal system is the following: 35 instances in January 2004, 43 in February, 51 in March, 41 in April, 39 in May, 44 in June, 93 in July, 20 in August and 27 in September.