The Special Penitentiary Service releases a statement regarding prisoner Davit Peikrishvili, who is associated with criminal circles.

The Penitentiary Service denies the information spread by the lawyer claiming that since October 16, his client has been subjected to physical and psychological pressure from cellmates at Penitentiary Establishment No. 8 and that his health condition is deplorable, and states that no violence of any kind took place against Davit Peikrishvili from his cellmates.

"The Special Penitentiary Service responds to the statement spread by Davit Peikrishvili's lawyer alleging that since October 16, his client has been subjected to physical and psychological pressure by cellmates in Penitentiary Establishment No. 8 and that his health condition is deplorable. We emphatically note that the circulated accusations do not correspond to the truth and no violence of any kind has taken place against defendant Davit Peikrishvili on the part of his cellmates.

Here, we also clarify that today in the lawyers' meeting room, defendant Peikrishvili was brought out to meet with his attorney, during which he suddenly and with fast steps left the room, shattered a window glass located in the hallway adjacent to the lawyers' meeting room, and threatened self-harm with a shard of glass; furthermore, he urged prisoners toward disorganization. The prisoners did not yield to his provocative calls and even verbally insulted him over this action. Davit Peikrishvili demanded a meeting with his brother, but since the Peikrishvili brothers are co-defendants in the same criminal case, under current legislation, their interaction inside the establishment is impermissible.

We also note that since false information regarding physical retaliation against Davit Peikrishvili in the penitentiary facility has been circulating for several days, on October 19, the Special Penitentiary Service petitioned the Prosecutor's Office of Georgia (by whose decision, based on the interests of the investigation, the defendant's rights to visits and phone calls are restricted). The Prosecutor's Office granted the Penitentiary Service's petition, and the defendant was granted permission to make a one-off phone call to his family (his mother).

It is also an important fact that the defendant's mother herself, in comments distributed to media outlets on October 19, unequivocally stated—and her son confirmed to her—that he is well, and the defendant's lawyer, in a conversation with the mother, also explicitly denied any fact of physical retaliation against Davit Peikrishvili by anyone in prison.

Therefore, the Special Penitentiary Service evaluates the hype created around the Peikrishvili brothers as a continuation of an attempt to discredit the agency and a deliberate campaign, and calls on everyone to refrain from spreading such false information," reads the statement.