Eight Inmates on Huger-Strike in Prison # 2

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi

Inmate of Kutaisi Prison # 2 Levan Bobokhidze is on hunger-strike. His lawyer Robizon Khurtsilava made statement about it. According to the lawyer, Levan Bobokhidze was arbitrarily arrested and court hearings into his case are groundlessly dragged out.

“We appealed the judgment of the Kutaisi City Court at the Appeal Court. The court hearings are prolonged for unclear reasons. Currently, the process was postponed based on the solicitation of the prosecutor Ketevan Talakvadze. She said she was not ready for the final statement. As for Levan Bobokhidze, he protested the dragged out process at the trial and noted that he is going on hunger-strike,” the lawyer Robizon Khurtsilava said.

According to the lawyer, former governor of Khoni district Zurab Jibukhaia is also on hunger-strike in Kutaisi Prison # 2 together with Bobokhidze. Six more prisoners have joined them to express solidarity.

Humanrights.ge contacted Kutaisi office of the Public Defender’s Office and local representative Madona Basiladze confirmed fact of the hunger-strike but she added that neither Levan Bobokhidze nor other prisoners have applied to their office in Kutaisi so far.

Western Georgia’s Regional Prosecutor’s Office arrested the former member of the Khoni municipal board and chairman of the Khoni district office of the United National Movement Levan Bobokhidze for professional forgery and swindle, as well as for the waste of particularly large amount of state funds in March of 2014. On November 8, 2014 Kutaisi City Court sentenced him and former governor of Khoni district Zurab Jibukhaia to seven-year-imprisonment.

The defense side claims Bobokhidze and Jibukhaia are arbitrarily detained and they are victims of political persecution.