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Prisoners Climb Prison Roofs and Request Meeting with Human Rights Defenders

October 25, 2012

Aleksi Bezhanishvili

On October 24, prisoner Lasha Getsadze climbed the roof of the Gldani penitentiary establishment # 8 and requested to invite journalists with video-cameras to prison.

He said former administration frequently breached rights. He was personally physically abused and he wants to speak about these facts in front of cameras.

Correspondent of the Interpresnews, who is member of the civil monitoring group, arrived at Gldani prison; other members of the monitoring group – Soso Manjavidze and Dachi Tsaguria were there too.

Lasha Getsadze told IPN’s correspondent that representatives of the prison administration ordered him to kill Iva Chigvinadze, who was arrested on May 26, 2011. The prisoner said after he refused to implement their order, he was physically abused; he was threatened with rape; they hung him on the rope and beat him ruthlessly.

The prisoner said he was compelled to write that he was “homosexual” in order not to complain about oppression in future.

Getsadze added he was arrested for hooliganism because of quarrel with his neighbor.

Lasha Getsadze spent several hours on the prison roof. He did not allow even monitoring group members to approach him.

Assistant to the minister of penitentiary Giorgi Mshvenieradze was in prison too.

In the evening, prisoner Lasha Getsadze was returned in his cell after he had conversed with journalists. Prison administration promised he would meet his family members today. The prisoner thanked them and said he would send letter about his torture by the members of the former prison administration to the prosecutor’s office. He blames Oleg Patsatsia, Mukhadze and Kacheishvili in his torture.

Iva Chigvinadze Confirmed that Prisoners Were Ordered to Abuse Him

IPN’s correspondent met Iva Chigvinadze too; Lasha Getsadze alleged he was ordered to kill Chigvinadze in prison.

Iva Chigvinadze, who was arrested on May 26, 2011, confirmed that Lasha Getsadze and other inmates were ordered to abuse him.

“The author of this order was Adeishvili [former minister of justice]. 40 people were arrested after the events of May 26. However, I do not know why I was under particular oppression. It lasted during first five months of my detention. They knew that I had good relation with Nino Burjanadze and brothers Gachechiladzes. They demanded me to speak about their cooperation with Russia and Russian money but I could not say anything what I did not know,” Iva Chigvinadze said.

As for physical abuse, he said he was assaulted in police department.

Chigvinadze clarified that people arrested on political grounds were persecuted by different methods in prison. Namely, those prisoners were under supervision of the Constitutional Security Department.

“CSD officials ordered prisoners to be their spies, to communicate with us and get information from us. Some prisoners accepted their proposal, others had to obey their orders under oppression,” Chigvinadze said.

Chigvinadze was arrested after the events of May 26 and was sentenced to ten-year-imprisonment for the resistance to police officers and damage of a police car.

One more prisoner on the roof

It is noteworthy that another prisoner climbed the roof of Ortachala Prison # 12 with analogue requests on October 23. He alleged that nothing was changed in prison and his rights are still breached. The prisoner requested meeting with the representatives of the nongovernmental organizations, public defenders and TV-companies.

“Everybody should come here – prosecutor’s office, public defender, Dimitry Lortkipanidze, Young Lawyers’ Association – everybody who monitors the situation here. I do not trust you; if I climb down you will do the worse with me!” the prisoner was shouting from the roof. Fire and rescue teams arrived at the place but after representatives of the Public Defender’s Office arrived there, the prisoner got down.

It is strange how prisoners manage to climb the roof everyday and whether it is inspired by former officers of penitentiary system? Comments on this issue have not been made yet.

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