Inmates of Kutaisi Prison Sewed Up Mouths

“At Least Our Protest Will Put End to Arbitrary Detentions in Our Country”

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi

Inmates of the Kutaisi prison N 2 fought injustice with most severe forms. Giorgi Gorgodze and Giorgi Zirakadze sewed up mouths on August 7 and stopped their protest on September 9, on the 33th day. They were arrested in Baghdati district on February 23 for thievery.

The relatives of the accused claim both are innocent and policemen arrested them on the scene of crime by mistake.

“I am sure neither my brother nor Giorgi Zirakadze has stolen anything. They were claiming it during the detention too and urged us to prove their innocence. They could not imagine that it would be impossible to prove it. If they were guilty, the court would have already passed judgment since February 23. We hoped to find out the truth but as you see the investigation has not finished yet and it led us to terrible results. Today, the accused are in unbearable situation and tomorrow they might die,” said Tea Gorgodze, sister of Giorgi Gorgodze.

On the fifth day of the protest the attorney of the accused applied to the president’s administration, parliament of Georgia, public defender and chief prosecutor’s office and informed them about the extremely urgent conditions of the accused. Only representative of the public defender responded to their appeal.

“”We met them two times and tried to convince them to stop protest because their health conditions were quite poor before they sewed up their mouths. On the tenth day the prisoner will get worse and everything might end crucially... unfortunately, the accused did not listen to us. We asked doctors to help us; both prisoners are observed by doctors thought their health is still poor,” said Madona Basiladze, head of the Public Defender’s office in the Western Georgia.

Family members of Giorgi Gorgodze and Giorgi Zirakadze are concerned about health conditions of the inmates. They were trying to convince the prisoners (with the support of the attorney) to stop protest.

“It is difficult for me to talk with them. I cannot imagine what can be worse. They do not react on anything. Acetone smell is coming from the mouth of Giorgi Gorgodze and similar situation might end crucially for him. Mortality among prisoners is not a surprise at all and I do not want to hear about one more death. I had one client, prisoner, who hung himself on Sunday and on Tuesday expertise was to be carried out on his case. I am telling Gorgodze and Zirakadze what might happen because of their protest but in vain,” said Pikria Tsertsvadze, attorney of the prisoners.

The prisoners have refused medical treatment lately. The attorney says it was urgently necessary for them.

“They use similar form of protest because they are not guilty and say they prefer to die than continue lives under name of thieves. At least our protest will put an end to the imprisonment of innocent people in this country, - said the prisoners. Prison personnel are also concerned about their situation. Nobody expected these two people to apply to such sever forms of protest. Finally I managed to convince them to open mouths and promised to find some solution to their problem,” said Pikria Tsertsvadze.

The prisoners demanded meeting with the representatives of the prosecutor’s office. Otherwise they denied to stop protest. Gorgodze and Zirakadze are not going to plead guilty. The attorney promised them to arrange meeting with the representatives of the prosecutor’s office and they stopped protest.

“If the meeting fails, they will restart their protest on Monday. They demand the prosecutor to find them not guilty. Of course, the prosecutor’s office does not agree with it. The court, as you know, obeys to the directions of the prosecutor’s office. The only resolution of the problem is plea-bargain but without pleading guilty. Now I wish the prosecutor’s office not to refuse meeting with them; or we will face most disastrous fact,” said the attorney.

The Human Rights Center got in touch with Kakha Kokhivari, Prosecutor of the Western Georgia. He was asked whether the representatives of the prosecutor’s office are going to meet the prisoners and Kochivari replied. “The case is investigated by the court. I have information about their situation... we will meet them and will make consequent decisions.”