Aleko Elisashvili: For hours, the entire prison protested against the inhumane treatment of Davitadze; there was a loud outcry—the prison shook and shuddered, and windows were smashed—as numerous inmates inflicted self-harm

Convict Giorgi Davitadze is a brave and courageous young man, and every worthy inmate stands in solidarity with him. There was a loud outcry; the prison shook and shuddered, and windows were smashed. Numerous inmates inflicted self-harm. The noise and the protest were so intense that the prison administration began removing inmates. These removals were chaotic, and it remains unclear how the prisoners were treated during the process. This is how imprisoned opposition politician Aleko Elisashvili responded to the statement by convict Giorgi Davitadze, who alleged that he had been subjected to sexual violence by prison guards.

As Aleko Elisashvili notes, the head of the Penitentiary Department, the director of the No. 6 strict-regime facility, and all guards "who participated in any way in that sadistic incident" must immediately resign from their posts.

"First of all, I want to say that the convict Davitadze is a brave and courageous young man, and all honorable prisoners stand in solidarity with him.

The Penitentiary Department is lying and feigning ignorance regarding the incident that took place on October 2nd. For hours, the entire prison population protested against the inhumane treatment of Davitadze. There was a loud outcry; the prison shook and reverberated, and windows were smashed. Many prisoners inflicted self-harm. The noise and the intensity of the protest were such that the prison administration began removing prisoners. These removals were chaotic, and it remains unclear how the prisoners were treated during the process.

It is worth noting that, on that night, prisoners were denied the opportunity to call the Public Defender’s Office hotline.

The situation in the prison remains tense. To defuse this situation, it is essential to determine where the prisoners have been transferred and what their current condition is—specifically, whether they are receiving appropriate care. This information must be made public immediately.

The situation cannot be defused without a timely, comprehensive, and effective investigation. The Head of the Penitentiary Department, the Director of Strict-Regime Facility No. 6, and all guards who participated in any way in that sadistic incident must immediately resign from their posts, and all these individuals must be held accountable to the full extent of the law," writes Aleko Elisashvili.

As a reminder, Giorgi Davitadze, an inmate at Rustavi Penitentiary Facility No. 6, made a statement at the Tbilisi Court of Appeals accusing a guard of rape. According to him, the incident took place in the de-escalation room and involved several individuals; he claimed that "everything is visible on the cameras." The Special Penitentiary Service also responded to the matter, dismissing the claim as disinformation. The Penitentiary Service asserts that "no violence of any kind—let alone sexual violence—was committed against Davitadze." A few days after this statement, the Penitentiary Service released information indicating that convict Giorgi Davitadze had summoned a member of the facility's administration and, in their presence—and within view of a surveillance camera—demonstratively swallowed a small, unidentified object.

According to the agency, in light of this incident and to monitor his health status, convict Giorgi Davitadze was offered a transfer to the civilian clinic Vivamed,i a proposal he categorically refused.