Family of the Late Juvenile Prisoner Declines Suicide Version

Shorena Kakabadze, Imereti

An investigation was launched into the death fact of the juvenile prisoner in Kutaisi Prison #2. According to the preliminary information, Giorgi Dzvelaia, 16, committed suicide. Minister of Corrections and Legal Aid of Georgia Sozar Subari made statement about the accident during his visit in the custody several hours later.

“According to the preliminary information, it was suicide. It is first fact of juvenile prisoner’s death for the past year; it is extremely unpleasant fact,” Subari said.

The family members of the dead prisoner said he had no reason to commit suicide. Moreover, he was about to leave the custody under bail in a few days. 

“He was taken to the prison 24 hours before. Soon, we intended to take him out of there and of course he knew about it. There is question – why should he have killed? He has not killed himself. He was murdered because he had discontent with other prisoners, namely with the prison supervisor,” the father of the deceased juvenile Tengiz Dzvelaia said.

Information about so-called supervisors in Kutaisi Prison # 2 was spread second time. First it was said after May 24, 2013 when prisoner Levan Kortava, 24, was killed in Geguti Prison #14. Several days later, relatives of Kortava and other prisoners held protest assembly in front of the prisons # 14 and #2 and claimed old regime was still in force in penitentiary establishments and so-called supervisors controlled the prison. 

“It was real reason of his death and disagreement resulted into the death of 16-year-old adult. We do not have another version. It is excluded,” relatives of the deceased juvenile claim.

Minister of Penitentiary does not exclude possibility of disagreement either. He said the juvenile had requested to place him in the separate cell. He had petitioned to the prison administration about it. Several hours before the accident, social workers visited the prisoner.

“The accident occurred half an hour after the social workers left his cell. They visited the prisoner several times during the day. He was alone in the cell,” the Minister said.

Humanrights.ge contacted Kutaisi office of the Public Defender. 

“We pay attention to all similar facts, particularly, when a juvenile dies in prison. We spent full day in Kutaisi Prison # 2 on October 8. We examined the place of incident; interviewed prisoners. As usually there are different versions about the accident but we should wait for the investigation results. All questions will be answered after investigation is over,” Madona Basiladze, Public Defender’s Representative in Imereti region, told humanrights.ge.

Press-center of the Public Defender’s Office states they requested information from the penitentiary establishment, investigation is underway, expertise is conducted and official statements will be made afterwards.

16-year-old Giorgi Dzvelaia was from Senaki. President pardoned him in August of 2013. This time, he was placed in Kutaisi Prison # 2 for thievery and spent only 24 hours there. Even imprisonment was not imposed on him yet. After paying the bail, juvenile had to leave prison.