Prisoners Continue Hunger-Strike in Kutaisi Detention Setting

                                                                    Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi

Last month the Human Rights Centre reported about two inmates protested the injustice in Kutaisi Prison N 2 with most severe form. George Gorgodze and George Zirakadze sewed their mouths up. They stopped their protest action on 33rd day of their protest being promised from prosecutor’s office to satisfy their demands. The convicted pleaded not guilty and wanted to meet prosecutor of Baghdati district. The meeting failed. Inmates started starvation again.

The personnel of detention setting are also concerned about their situation. Nobody thought the situation would worsen again and the starvation would become necessary. I was persuading these people that the prosecutor would meet them and they would find out the way. They agreed to stop starvation based these arguments. It was not oral promise. The prosecutor really promised me to meet the prisoners,” said the attorney of the prisoners Pikria Tsertsvadze.

On the second day of their starvation the attorney appealed to the prosecutor’s office, she requested district prosecutor Kakha Kochivari to attend to the issue more carefully and find the solution of the problem. They spoke about plea-bargain too. The attorney has not received the reply yet.

“I inquired about the ongoing situation with the prosecutor Mamuka Chubinidze after I did not receive reply from Kochivari. Chubinidze knew nothing about our statement. Shortly speaking, the problem will be solved only after the accident happens. Prosecutor will not withdraw its accusation and the prisoners will not put up with imprisonment,” says attorney.

Although about ten trials were held in Baghdati district court, there is no progress. Last week the convicted people on hunger-strike came in court hall accompanied by the doctor .They were in extremely bad conditions, which was protested by their family members.

“I am sure neither my brother nor George Zirakadze is guilty. They have been insisting it since the very first day of detention and request to prove the truth. We did not think the court would not manage to pass judgment for so long. We hoped we would find out and prove their innocence, but apparently the investigation goes slowly and it will have a very bad result. It is not first and least accident in prison. Is not it time for our government to estimate inmates as prisoners and take care of their life, says Tea Gorgodze the sister of one of the prisoners George Gorgodze.

Inmates do not plead guilty. Prosecutor does not make compromises. The attorney says in such a case responsibility of police-officers of Baghdati district must be discussed; though it will never happen. Although on the 5th day of the hungers-strike the attorney petitioned to the president’s administration, Parliament, Public Defender and the general prosecutor about the protest and described clearly their hard conditions, the situation has not changed yet.
 
“This people are innocent and are urging to prove their innocence. They refused to plead guilty and sing plea bargain because they did not commit crime. Everybody knows that the prison has its own representative in each cell. They also prove that these boys have not committed this crime (stealing). The only thing I can say is that we will discuss this question on the trial next week. We hope the prosecutor will come well-acknowledged on the trial,” said Pikria Tsertsvadze.

As for the family members of the prisoners, they say if the next trial ends with failure, they will use all the legitimate efforts to prove the truth.

See on the topic

Inmates of Kutaisi Prison Sewed Up Mouths

http://humanrights.ge/index.php?a=article&id=4132&lang=en