What Was Going on in Gldani Prison on September 21

Interpresnews

With the initiative of the new Minister of Corrections and Legal Aid of Georgia Giorgi Tugushi journalists, including Interpresnews’ correspondent, visited Gldani Prison # 8 on September 21.

When Giorgi Tugushi and journalists entered the prison yard prisoners greeted them with knocking on the windows. They urged media-representatives to help them. Besides that the prisoners were jointly reading prayer “Our Father in Heaven”   and were shouting “Bidzina, Bidzina” (leader of the Georgian Dream Bidzina Ivanishvili).

Giorgi Tugushi made a statement to the prison inmates from the yard and promised them nobody will ever touch them in future; their conditions will be improved and he will be a guarantee of it.

IPN’s correspondent had chance to interview several prisoners. Some of them said they were physically abused. However, the situation had improved over the past three days and degrading facts had not occurred since then.

Alongside it, inmates of some buildings of the Gldani Prison # 8 said they have not been able to listen to radio over past few days. However, inmates of other premises alleged they have not faced similar problem.

New minister Giorgi Tugushi made comments with journalists too. He said next day patrol police will completely leave the Prison # 8, which was guarding the prison since horrible video-footage was depicted by Georgian TV-channels. He said the system shall be completely changed and not only senior officials of the penitentiary department but other personnel will also be dismissed who had participated in the violation of the prisoners’ rights.

“I will talk with each prisoner; I will collect information and will fire every junior or senior official who were suspected in the torture of prisoners,” Giorgi Tugushi said.

According to him, after police quits the prison, special control will be established in custodies and nobody will touch prisoners. Besides that, as the minister said, there had been peace in the prison over past three days and spread information as if prisoners are still beaten and taken to hospitals by paramedics, was not true.

“Several prisoners with serious health problems were taken to hospital based on my personal decree. However, no fact of physical assault had occurred in prison [since I came in office],” Giorgi Tugushi said. 

As for the penitentiary ministry, the structure shall be re-established. On September 21, the Minister fired 10 employees of the ministry.

Giorgi Tugushi said they will select new staff eventually; young people will take trainings and replace old personnel of the penitentiary ministry. “Punishment rooms will continue functioning in the penitentiary system but they will be used only for discipline and in the frame of the law. We will take care of everything step-by-step,” Giorgi Tugushi told journalists.

The Minister added that nongovernmental organizations will have more chance to frequently contact prisoners and assist the Ministry in the eradication of problems.