Aleksandre Tamazashvili to the Penitentiary Service: Stop manipulating the rules you yourself have established - the regulations being used to punish Irakli Garibashvili apply to particularly serious offenders

“It is unclear why such a strict approach is being applied to Irakli - using rules designed to punish prisoners who have committed dangerous and particularly serious crimes. I urge you once again to show some humanity! Stop manipulating the rules you yourselves have established - let the young children see their father,” Aleksandre Tamazashvili, brother-in-law of imprisoned former Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, writes on social media, responding to a statement by the Special Penitentiary Service.

As Tamazashvili points out, the regulations being used to punish Garibashvili apply to particularly serious offenders.

"The regulations being used to punish Irakli apply to particularly serious offenders:

Individuals who have committed serious or particularly serious crimes (for example, murder, organised crime, terrorism, etc.);

Convicted individuals sentenced to life imprisonment;

Those with a history of recidivism (individuals who have been convicted multiple times in the past);

Prisoners who violated prison rules while serving time in another type of facility, such as a semi-open prison, displayed aggression, were involved in criminal subcultures, or posed a high risk of escape.

The court did not sentence Irakli to serve his term in a closed-type penitentiary facility. The only reason he is considered an inmate of a closed-type facility is that he is being held in a solitary confinement cell.

Therefore, it is unclear why such a strict approach is being applied to Irakli, using rules designed to punish prisoners who have committed dangerous and particularly serious crimes.

I urge you once again to show some humanity! Stop manipulating the rules you yourselves have established - let the young children see their father.”

For reference, the Special Penitentiary Service categorically denies allegations that Irakli Garibashvili is being denied his right to receive visits.

Commenting on the matter to InterpressNews, the Penitentiary Service explained that, under the regulations governing closed-type penitentiary facilities, where convicted inmate Garibashvili is being held, he is entitled to two long-term visits per year and one short-term visit per month, and that he has already used his full allocation.

As for granting an additional visit to a person deprived of liberty as a form of incentive, the agency explained that, under the Penitentiary Code, this is at the discretion of the head of the penitentiary facility. However, it stressed that “this is one form of incentive, not an obligation on the part of the director.”