Politician Aleko Elisashvili, one of the leaders of “Lelo – Strong Georgia”, who is detained on charges of attempted terrorist act and is held in a strict-regime facility, has been prohibited from making phone calls. The information was confirmed to Interpressnews by Elisashvili’s lawyer, Giorgi Rekhviashvili.

The lawyer visited him today at Rustavi No. 6 Penitentiary.

According to the lawyer, Elisashvili is complaining about prison living conditions.

“His health condition has improved; the injuries he had on his face and hands are healing. In essence, he says the same things he said during the court hearing - there is nothing new in that regard. His position remains the same as in his public statements.

As you know, he is in Penitentiary No. 6, which is considered a strict-regime facility. The conditions are not at the standard they should be - they are different and significantly worse than in other penitentiaries. He has been banned from making phone calls, and he will not be allowed to have either short-term or long-term visits,”Rekhviashvili said.

He added that the facility’s equipment is rusty and damaged.

“This is not only Aleksandre’s situation; other inmates are in the same conditions. The penitentiary itself is not in the condition it should be. For example, Aleko loves reading books, but there is a problem with the library - he cannot select books according to the catalog.The equipment is rusty, old, and damaged - shared toilets, sinks, washbasins, etc. There are problems with living conditions and noise,”the lawyer stated.

According to him, investigators have not yet entered to obtain Elisashvili’s testimony.

For reference, Elisashvili has been charged under Article 19-323 (1) of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which concerns attempted terrorist act. The offense carries a sentence of 10 to 15 years in prison.

According to the investigation, on November 29, around 04:00 a.m., a masked Aleko Elisashvili arrived at the Tbilisi City Court building armed with a firearm, ammunition, and items necessary for carrying out a terrorist act. Using a hammer, he broke a window on the outer façade of the court’s chancery building and entered the interior space.

The Prosecutor’s Office reports that Elisashvili poured a large amount of flammable liquid on items and documents found on site and attempted to set them on fire.

Elisashvili admits the act itself but does not agree with the legal qualification of the charge - specifically, that it constitutes an attempted terrorist act.