The Special Penitentiary Service has issued a statement regarding Giorgi Chikvaidze, who was convicted of illegally appropriating a large amount of funds.

According to the agency’s information, claims that Giorgi Chikvaidze has been denied visitation rights in prison are untrue.

The Special Penitentiary Service clarifies that Chikvaidze has exhausted his short-term visitation limit for the month of September.

“The Special Penitentiary Service responds to information disseminated by media outlets claiming that convicted individual G.Ch. has been denied visitation rights.

For public information, we clarify that, in accordance with Article 120 of the Penitentiary Code, convicted individual G.Ch. is entitled to two short-term visits per month. Accordingly, in September, G.Ch. has already utilized his entitled short-term visitation rights. Specifically, he used one short-term visit on September 1, 2025, and, based on his own written request, the second short-term visit for the month was replaced with a telephone conversation, in accordance with Article 119, Part 7, Subparagraph 'a' of the Penitentiary Code. Consequently, convicted individual G.Ch. is not entitled to further short-term visits until October 2025.

We further clarify that, in accordance with Articles 119 and 122 of the Penitentiary Code, a convicted individual is entitled to three long-term visits per year, which he has personally refused (this is confirmed by relevant documentation).

Regarding the convicted individual’s short-term visits conducted behind a glass barrier, for public information, we clarify that this rule applies to all convicted individuals in the aforementioned penitentiary facility, as stipulated by the facility’s regulations.

The Special Penitentiary Service calls on everyone to refrain from spreading unverified and false information aimed at discrediting the service and misleading the public,” the statement reads.