Human Rights Center Requests Investigation into Physical Abuse and Inhuman Treatment of Prisoner

Human Rights Center addresses to the Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance of Georgia and Chief Prosecutor’s Office to adequately respond and timely investigate the fact of physical assault and inhuman treatment of the convict in Prison # 17. 

On December 19, 2013, nineteen inmates of the Penitentiary Establishment # 17 started hunger-strike with the request to review their cases. Prisoners on strike were placed in the special punishment cell.

On December 21, three striker prisoners were summoned to transportation. Among them was convict Amiran Patoev, who protested the decision of the prison administration and requested clarification on their sudden transportation. According to Patoev, about 30 prison staff members, including prison director Aleksandre Birtvelishvili approached them. The latter told prisoners that he was not going to answer their questions. One of the prison officers grabbed Amiran Patoev’s collar, insulted him and hit in the chin; he caught his hands and started shaking him. Then he pushed his head against the wall.

About 15 minutes after the incident, the prisoner was taken from the establishment to Prison # 6. Convict Patoev continues hunger-strike together with other prisoners though nobody has met them from the penitentiary department so far to find out their problems and reason of protest.

Human Rights Center is concerned with the physical abuse of the prisoner in the penitentiary establishment. This fact is most astonishing because Amiran Patoev was victim of torture and inhuman treatment in penitentiary establishment during previous government too. As a result of torture, he can move only with support of crutches. 

Although general conditions of prisoners and protection of their rights improved as a result of the reforms implemented in the penitentiary system, this tendency does not allow the state to keep blind eye on single cases of physical abuse and inhuman treatment of prisoners.

Human Rights Center