Opposition Demands Resignation of Prison Chief

Opposition New Rights party condemned as “brutal” use of police force against inmates of the Tbilisi 5th prison, which resulted into death of yet unknown number of prisoners, and demanded resignation of chief of prison system Bacho Akhalaia.

Speaking at a news conference on March 27 MP Davit Gamkrelidze, leader of the New Rights, said that officials’ version of “planned prison riot and attempted jailbreak is very doubtful.”

“And even if we believe in this version, it will further increase responsibility of authorities and personal responsibly of Chief of the Penitentiary System Bach Akhalaia. Instead of preventing this riot they have triggered this riot and then shot dead inmates with automatic rifles. Against the background of grave results of this operation we demand immediate resignation of Bach Akhalaia, as well as to launch criminal proceedings against him,” MP Gamkrelidze said.

Justice Minister Gia Kavtaradze said that officials had information that a prison riot was planned by criminal bosses. MP Elene Tevdoradze, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee for Human Rights, criticized prison officials at a news conference on March 27 for a failure to prevented riot.

“Why they failed to prevent it if they knew in advance? I think these officials – I do not know exactly who, but those who had information – should be held responsible,” MP Tevdoradze said.

MP Gamkrelidze also called on the Parliamentary Chairperson Nino Burjanadze to set up a special parliamentary commission which will probe into the incident.

He demanded from the authorities to publish a list of those inmates who have died, “as there is a total confusion among the inmates’ relatives as they have no information about those who died and who was injured.”

The Justice Ministry has only published the list of 17 inmates who were wounded. One of them died in the hospital. The authorities have reported neither number, nor names of those who died. Justice Minister Gia Kavtaradze only said at a news conference early on March 27 that “several inmates died.”

But Tbilisi-based Rustavi 2 television reported that at least six inmates died in a clash with the police special unit.