On July 25, Penal Reform International (PRI) monitoring visit to Penal Establishment #17th in Rustavi. Monitors met with the prisoners on hunger strike. The visitors of the establishment included Nazi Janezashvili, PRI representative, also representatives of partner organizations, such as Nino Gelashvili and Tamta Vephkvadze from “Youth for Justice” and Nino Elizbarashvili from “Women in Business”. A special permit on monitoring is issued by the Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance of Georgia. Prison #17th is semi-open and closed type of penitentiary establishment with the maximum limit of 2744 residents. Total 38 prisoners are on hunger strike. It has to be mentioned, that 2 of them have sewed lips with metal wire. Despite this, It is also important, that among the strikers there are people with grieve disease, such as heart stroke, AIDS, C hepatitis, tuberculosis, etc. The main demand of the strikers is a fair court. They demand a reconsideration of the judgment currently in force against them. In addition, they expressed dissatisfaction with the existing controversial practice of the current parole release. Moreover, as some of the prisoners stated, that the absorption principle defined by the Criminal Code has been partially affected on them, or has not affected at all. According to the information provided by the detainees, only the prisoners whose verdict came into force before October 1st, 2012 are on strike. Prisoners with serious illnesses are asking for the operation doctors have assigned, as their health condition is endangered. Representatives of the organisations explained existing legal mechanisms affecting terms of sentence to the prisoners. However, we believe that the state should take effective measures to ensure the judgments currently in force are reviewed according to the principle of equality and justice Letters of prisoners on strike are enclosed to the article. The monitoring is carried out within the frameworks of the project "Improving civil society involvement in penitentiary institutions for the prevention" funded by Eurasia Partnership Foundation. Letter 1. Note from the prisoners on hunger strike from the penitentiary establishment #17 We, prisoners on strike demand that the parole board shall immediately take the right decision and satisfy our requirements. Otherwise, we will address worse and the most extreme forms of protest. We started hunger strike on July 23rd. Signed by: Zviad Bunturi, Valeri Mekhantsishvili, Irakli nadirashvili, Shalva Robakidze, Lasha Saltkhutsishvili, Roman Bugianishvili, Zviad Naskidashvili, Amirad Shukakidze, Tamaz Orlov Dated: 25 July, 2013 Letter 2. We, the prisoners signing below, started hunger strike. We are victims of illegal verdicts and demand them to be revised immediately. We would like to make it clear, that we will not stop our strike until we get appropriate response and our demand is satisfied. Otherwise, we will address worse and the most extreme forms of protest. We started hunger strike on July 23rd. Signed by: Koba Kordzadze, Shalva Mghebrishvili, Irakli Surmanidze, Zaza Nezhashvili, Artur Chirkanov, Shalva Reziashvili, Giorgi Eliashvili, Giorgi Nanikashvili, Giorgi Golaberidze, Valeri Natsvlishvili, Otar Arjevanishvili, Yuri Shemoyan, Gela Qobalia, Vagif Orujov, Shota Janashia, Vyacheslav Voloshin, Giorgi Gegechkori, Giorgi Jalabadze, Otar Varamashvili Dated: 25 July, 2013 https://drive.google/folderview?id=0BxPYU453fyloREsxUl84cHk4bjQ&usp=sharing
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 09:44:19 +0000
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