On July 16, 2014 GYLA made a statement on the alleged existence of the “Audience” in the law-enforcement facility #8 and called upon the relevant institutions to respond. The statement was based on the explanation, provided by one of the prisoners, Shavleg Gurgenidze to the GYLA lawyer. In his explanation, the prisoner mentions specific convicts in the law-enforcement facility #8, who force other prisoners to abide by their requests and who are under the patronage of the prison administration. 

  

On July 21, 2014 GYLA lawyer once again visited Shavleg Gurgenidze, who, after the publication of the GYLA statement started talking of the pressure against him. Shavleg Gurgenidze says that on July 18 he has met the deputy head (in the field of security) of the law-enforcement facility #8 - I. P. who says that: “if you continue a dispute through GYLA, then we’ll see who has the possibilities and who will do what. If you do not want to leave this place then continue writing statements in GYLA and let’s see who gains what”. Following the mentioned conversation, Shavleg Gurgenidze does not exclude the possibility of other illegal actions against him and does not feel safe. 

  

The facts, mentioned in the explanation note given to GYLA lawyer by the prisoner  Tristan Vasadze on July 22, 2014 are even more outrageous. Tristan Vasadze is currently in the law-enforcement facility #2; however, he has been serving his sentence in the law-enforcement facility #8 before. Tristan Vasadze says that while being in the law-enforcement facility #8 (on March 19, 2014), he witnessed that the prison staff was beating another prisoner, to which he openly expressed his protest. After a few days, the prison staff asked him to follow them to one of the deputies – Z. M. for a meeting, which he refused to do. In his statement, Vasadze says: “when I refused to follow them they started beating me with their hands and legs and with a 2-liter bottle, full of water. Specifically, D. K. and security representative, G.I. tried hard. They tried to appear good in front of the K.P, saying – is it good “chief”. After that they took me to the quarantine, where Z.M. met me and hit me in the face a few times. In a cell, I was beaten by I.P. When I asked them, where they were taking me to, G.I. responded in a mocking tone: “you are going where the accidental deaths have increased in number” and I was thrown into the so-called “varonka” . That’s how I ended up in law-enforcement facility #2”. 

 

Vasadze also mentions the presence of the so-called “audience” in the law-enforcement facility #2 and states that: “facility #2 has the prison “audience” Sh. M. Eeach facility has their own “audience”. Even the “pragulka”  has its own “audience”. Also, “bolnichka”  is watched by a K. [...]. The games are played in the prison for the money; the common ammount, so-called “obshyak” is being collected and during a game, other prisoner may move to another cell, of course, through the help of the “audience”. Tristan Vasadze says that his life is in danger. In his explanation, given to the GYLA lawyer, Vasadze also says that on July 17 he nailed his hand to the chair and declared hunger-strike. 

 

The information, mentioned in the above explanations includes the signs of a crime, which requires timely investigation and proper response. GYLA calls upon the Main Prosecution of Georgia and the Minister of the Law-Enforcement and the Probation to examine the given information within their competence and in case if the information is confirmed, to impose a relevant responsibility upon all of the relevant persons. 

 

GYLA once again states, that such information requires the proper response from the relevant institutions, and not the evaluations, such as those made by the deputy minister of the law enforcement and probation – Giga Giorgadze. Giga Giorgadze called GYLA information to be an “absurd” and stated that the organization was “replicating lies”. We consider, that calling an information to be “absurd” an a “replication of lies” without any examination does not support investigation of an issue and on the contrary, might cause stimulation of the violations, because the common employees of the institution might be given an impression that their illegal acts will be covered up by the high ranking officials without proper investigation. 

 

In addition, we positively evaluate the fact that, as it seems, the prosecution started examination of the issue following the publication of information by GYLA. The prisoner – Shavleg Gurgenidze told GYLA lawyer that the prosecution investigator has visited him for the interrogation.