Penitentiary Minister comments on recent prison incidents

Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance of Georgia, Sozar Subari held a special briefing dedicated to the problems in several prisons of Georgia. The situation has been very tense outside the N16 prison of Ksani during past three days. Several prisoners sewed their lips in protest, while their relatives were rallying outside the prison demanding dismissal of the prison director.

Sozar Subari said the situation was absolutely calm inside the prison and all that was going on was just a protest encouraged from outside, which the minister fears, might have been organized by the former authorities. He said for a few days they abstained from conducting adequate security measures, but now all measures would be applied to impose control in prisons in the frames of law.

Minister said the criminal cases were built up on the incidents which occurred in Ortachala N1 prison of Tbilisi. He said the six inmates, who were trying to organize a riot inside the prison, would face charges.

The investigation on last night`s incident in Ksani prison, where a soldier was insulted and there was an attempt of the inmates` relatives to intrude in the prison, has been already launched and every person, who will try to violate law, will be held accountable,` Minister said.

He also said the adequate measures would be carried out against any prisoner, who disobeyed law and those, who will try to cause riot from outside the prison, would be also held responsible. He defined that Georgian legislation prohibited holding rallies in twenty-meter radius of prison territory and any person, who violated this rule, would be punished.

Minister also introduced a new chief of the medical department of the ministry Natia Landia and the new deputy minister, Avtandil Talakvadze, who will work on health issues in the ministry.

Adapted from GHN