Lawyers Not Allowed to Enter Tbilisi Jail #7

Lawyers Not Allowed to Enter Tbilisi Jail #7

Tbilisi. 27.04.06, ‘Media News’ – The Ombudsman’s Office in Tbilisi received information from Georgian lawyers yesterday, stating that they were not allowed to enter Tbilisi Jail #7 to meet with their clients.

Representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office, who visited the jail, were told that the prison administration was checking the cells. The lawyers will not be allowed to visit prisoners, until these checks have finished.

The representatives of the Ombudsman’s Office believe that this is a violation of prisoners’ rights. The right to meet with a lawyer is guaranteed by the Georgian Constitution and legislative acts.

“Of course checking cells is part of the legislative process, however this should not limit the right to a defense and even during such checks, lawyers should be allowed to meet with the prisoners,” say the representatives of Ombudsman’s Office.