The Special Penitentiary Service has released information regarding an incident that occurred on August 23, 2025, involving a prisoner and an employee of a penitentiary facility.

As stated, the penitentiary employee received all necessary medical care, and as of today, their health is not at risk. The Special Penitentiary Service refrains from providing further comments regarding the employee’s health, as this matter constitutes special category personal data.

“The Special Penitentiary Service responds to a report aired on Saturday by TV Pirveli, which concerns an incident that took place on August 23, 2025, between a prisoner and a penitentiary facility employee. The report, broadcast on October 18, 2025, almost two months after the incident and purportedly addressing the individual’s health condition, is part of a deliberate campaign that this channel has been conducting over the past few weeks, aimed at damaging the reputation of the Special Penitentiary Service.

For the purpose of informing the public, we would first like to address the health condition of the penitentiary facility employee—they received all necessary medical care, and as of today, their health is not at risk. The Special Penitentiary Service has been closely monitoring the employee’s treatment and rehabilitation process on a daily basis. The Service refrains from further comments regarding the employee’s health, as this constitutes special category personal data.

We also clarify that the Penitentiary Service responds strictly to any incident related to unlawful actions against its employees, and in this case, the relevant materials were immediately sent to the investigative authorities upon the incident’s occurrence.

The Special Penitentiary Service once again emphasizes that it will respond strictly to any such actions in accordance with the law.

Regarding the issue mentioned in the report—concerning the number of prisoners in Penitentiary Facility No. 8—we clarify once again that the number of accused/convicted individuals in the facility slightly exceeds the limit set by normative acts. Given that Penitentiary Facility No. 8 also serves as a receiving facility, the transfer of accused/convicted individuals to other penitentiary facilities is carried out on an ongoing basis. We also note that the slight increase in the number of accused/convicted individuals does not hinder the proper functioning of the penitentiary facility or violate the rights of the accused/convicted.

The report also mentioned the so-called use of sleeping pills, which reflects the unprofessionalism of the report’s authors and a violation of journalistic standards, and most importantly, does not correspond to reality. We unequivocally clarify that only 2% of the total number of accused/convicted individuals in all penitentiary facilities, including those undergoing opioid substitution therapy to overcome addiction, receive specially controlled medical substances prescribed by a doctor, under the supervision of relevant specialists.

Regarding the issue mentioned in the report—alleged staffing shortages in Penitentiary Facility No. 8—this information is not true. The facility is fully staffed with qualified and professional employees, ensuring its uninterrupted and effective operation.

It is also important to note that during the preparation of the report, the television company did not contact the Special Penitentiary Service to verify the information.

The Special Penitentiary Service calls on politically biased television companies and media outlets to refrain as much as possible from disseminating such slanderous, baseless, unverified, and inaccurate information,” the statement reads.