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Attorneys Cannot Meet Their Clients in New Prison

June 14, 2010
Manon Bokuchava, Kvemo Kartli

We wrote about the opening ceremony of the new prison # 1 in Rustavi several days ago. According to the plan, the prison was to be opened in 7 months, but the ceremony took place on June 1 under PR-Ceremony of the National Movement and by participation of the president Saakashvili.

Soon it was reported that the detention setting was not yet ready. In reply to it, the penitentiary department clarified that only the bakery is not finished in the institution. However, as it was found out the rooms for the meeting of the attorneys and the convicted are not ready either.

Supposedly, it was the only reason for what the attorneys were not allowed to meet their clients on June 7. In parallel to it, the relatives of the convicted suspected that the inmates were beaten and lawyers were not allowed in for that reason.

Nana Andghuladze, a mother of a prisoner and a lawyer, tried to meet her son for a long time; she wanted to find out whether he was beaten or not. “I was told that my son was beaten and blood was transfused to him at 4:00 am. I cannot tell you who informed me about it. Now, I was allowed into the prison with the support of Eka Beselia and I saw my son. He said that he had no transfusions and that nobody had beaten him. I could not see any trace of harassment on his body and now I am calm.”

Eka Beselia had to calm Nana Andguladze and other parents. She visited the prison # 1 on June 10 to find out about the situation.

Eka Beselia, chairwoman of the public movement “Solidarity with Arbitrary Prisoners”: “I personally visited the detention setting and was able to see the interior of the setting. I could meet one prisoner. He said he had no complaints against the prison administration. The only thing which shall be urgently resolved is entrance of attorneys to the prison. I personally talked with the prison director Kiknavelidze and asked him to allow the lawyers to enter the institution without obstacles and not to restrict their rights. I was told that the attorneys will be able to meet their clients from Monday. The problem is that the detention setting was opened before the construction finished.”

“I told the director that the prison was not to be opened if the construction was not finished. The attorneys should not face problems in meeting their clients. The prisoners shall be treated in accordance to the law – without any violence. I saw prisoner Potskhverashvili who said that he was not abused at all.”

“It was reported that the prisoners were beaten and attorneys were not allowed into the prison for that reason. I can neither deny nor confirm the information. The only thing I can say is that the rooms for the meeting of the lawyers and their clients are not completely ready. These rooms shall be repaired immediately. In accordance to the Constitution, and the Procedural Code an attorney shall meet his/her client without any obstacles.”

An elderly woman approached the people gathered at the Rustavi Prison # 1 to find out the situation in the custody. She said: “What has happened to me?! Where have they taken my son? Maybe they have beaten him too. What shall I do? Where shall I go? Even parents cannot help their children so what can a granny do? Will anybody listen to an old woman like me?” the woman was walking around the prison. She refused to make any comments to us but said that she was from Gori and that she was the woman whose bloody face was shown to the entire world.

Leila Kakashvili is the face of the armed conflict of August, 2008. Seeing her tears the relatives of the prisoners said: “Was it worth to open unfinished prison to hurt this poor woman? Is it very difficult for at least one official to come out and tell her that her grandson is well and nobody has beaten him?!”

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