Appeal on new facts of torture and inhuman treatment and faulty practice established in penitentiary system

Human Rights Center expresses concern about a faulty practice established in penitentiary system. This means that prisoner victims of torture and inhuman treatment are oppressed, so they voluntarily waive the facts of inhuman treatment and sign the document about absence of the claim.  

Besides, they force prisoners to change their initial testimonies and write down that they got injuries not as a result of beating, but because they accidentally fell on the floor or/and stairs. 

To oppress the prisoners, they use a threat that they will add sentence in penitentiary system. After rejecting the maltreatment, they sign the plea agreement with  prisoners, while they are not getting valuable legal consultation. 

Human Rights Center represents the interests of prisoners- Tamaz Rasoian and Paata Surameli, who are serving their sentence in N7 prison. 

The prisoner Paata Surameli told to his lawyer, that in September 14, 2014 he was in N6 prison, where he was beaten and tortured and after transferred to N8 prison. The incident happened at the place, which is under a video surveillance. 

According to the prisoner, because of the injuries, he asked for medical first aid, but he was refused. After he decided to write a complaint, they put chains on him, kept him in the bathroom for all night and next morning transferred to N3 prison of Batumi. According to prisoner, he was constantly oppressed, so he would not name those persons who participated in maltreatment. He was forced to refuse complaint. He was placed in a solitary cell for 19 days, after he was transferred to N7 prison. 

According to the information of the prisoner, he is now in a solitary cell, with inhuman conditions, the cell is humid, water is leaking, air window is sealed and the cell is not being ventilated. The prisoner is limited to use phone calls, personal correspondence, and right to get parcels or use TV and radio.  

Human Rights Center has been protecting rights of the prisoner Tamaz Rasoian. He has been a victim of torture and maltreatment since the previous Government. On December 3, 2014, as the prisoner says, again he was severely beaten in prison N8. Human Rights Center repeatedly called for the Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance, also the Prosecutor’s Office to react on the prisoner’s information, where he says that the other prisoners are maltreated as well .

Despite of multiple appeals from Human Rights Center, not the Ministry nor the Prosecutor’s office had an effective reaction on this incident. In contrary, Rasoian was suppressed in order not to continue complaining against the authorities of the penitentiary facility. In particular, initially he was charged under CC article 387  section 1, according to which Tamaz Rasoian used the forbidden subject in N8 prison – alcohol and was confirmed with mild intoxication. Later, according to the prisoner, he was forced by threat that they would add 2 more years of imprisonment under these charges if he continued complaining about the facts of beating and inhuman treatment. Finally they made him to give a testimony as if he got the injuries as a result of falling down the stairs. In exchange, he got the plea agreement and instead of 2 years they added 6 more months. 

Human Rights Center calls for:

Chief Prosecutor’s Office, to have an appropriate reaction about possible facts of torture and inhuman treatment and provide a legal defense for prisoner’s rights. 

The Investigation Department of the Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance, to provide valuable and unbiased investigation of facts of torture and inhuman treatment in penitentiary facilities. 

Human Rights Committee of Georgian Parliament, to provide an effective parliamentary control for investigation of Paata Surameli and Tamaz Rasoian cases. 

 

Human Rights Center