Former Prisoner Requests Reimbursement of Damage from the Ministry of Corrections

Kristine Pakhomov

Former prisoner Paata Pkhovelishvili sued the Ministry of Corrections of Georgia in the Court; he claims 160 000 GEL as reimbursement for moral and physical damage.

Lawyer of Human Rights Center Nestan Londaridze represents the former prisoner at the Court.

“In 2006-2012 many prisoners became victims of inhuman treatment and torture in the penitentiary establishments. Inmates were under psychological and physical oppression that ended up with grave health problems in majority of prisoners. Several inmates received status of victim of torture by prison personnel,” the lawyer Nestan Londaridze of Human Rights Center said.

She added that in accordance to the procedural law the victims have right to claim compensation not only for material damage but for the rehabilitation of worsened health conditions.

Paata Pkhovelishvili served his term from July 7, 2008 to December 31, 2015. During imprisonment term he got sick with several grave deceases. In accordance to the June 14, 2016 survey conducted by the World Health Organization, the former prisoner has several grave deceases.

“I was activist of the opposition political party during 2007 presidential elections and supported the presidential candidate Levan Gachechiladze. It was reason of my detention. They warned me several times to keep silence and stop activities. I was taken to drug-tests several times but all the time the result was negative. Afterwards, I was stopped on the Rustavi highway and they planted drugs on me; it became basis for my arrest. I was taken to Gldani prison, where I was asked whether I admitted the committed crime or not; I refused and they started my torture from the very first day. They prohibited us to approach the window and did not let us finish showers. Sometimes they did not even need any motive to torture me. I was treated for tuberculosis in jail hospital and when being transported from the jail hospital the prison guard beat me on the hand-barrow because I protested fact of throwing my cloths away,” the former prisoner told humanrights.ge.

The former convict Paata Pkhovelishvili said he may also raise issue of declaring him non-guilty. “I must prove that I was arbitrarily imprisoned.”

Nestan Londaridze of Human Rights Center said the former prisoner Paata Pkhovelishvili received status of victim in torture case. “It is proved that Pkhovelishvili was subjected to physical and moral damage.”

Nestan Londaridze added that preliminary hearing in Pkhovelishvili’s case was already held and the Ministry of Corrections may offer some reimbursement for the purpose of mutual agreement. The applicant will later decide whether the proposed sum will be acceptable for him or not.

“Current practice showed that the Ministry of Corrections offers small amount of money to the victims. Former prisoner, torture victim Tama Rasoyan, another beneficiary of Human Rights Center, was offered 7 000 GEL as reimbursement that is very inadequate. (Tamaz Rasoyan request 500 000 GEL as compensation for the physical and moral damage from the Ministry of Corrections),” Nestan Londaridze said.

Paata Pkhovelishvili said almost every convict was victim of torture in the penitentiary establishment; some of them are still in prison.