Minister of Justice responds to allegations by prisoner Giorgi Davitadze

Minister of Justice Paata Salia stated that the allegations voiced by Giorgi Davitadze have not been confirmed. According to the minister, the Public Defender independently studied the materials and could not establish any signs of violence. Salia explained that the Penitentiary Service has the right to use legally permitted coercion mechanisms when a prisoner does not comply with internal regulations. Publika+2

The Penitentiary Service released 4.5 minutes of video footage, where, according to the agency, it is shown that Davitadze refused to undergo an inspection and verbally abused the staff, which is why he was forcibly inspected using an electronic detector. According to the director of the Penitentiary Service, Giorgi Pataridze, there was not even an excessive use of force in the footage. At the same time, the prisoner's mother states that the published video does not fully reflect what happened and the full material is up to 20 minutes long. Former Public Defender Nino Lomjaria noted that the released video confirms Davitadze's account more than it excludes it. Publika

Paata Salia did not answer the question about whether the video recording released by the Penitentiary Service had sound and whether the de-escalation room cameras generally have a sound recording function. The minister also noted that the issue of transferring Davitadze to another facility will be considered only if the prisoner meets the prerequisites provided by law. Radio Tavisupleba