Justice Minister: all three prisoners escaped from medical facility arrested

Georgian Justice Minister Rati Bregadze on Thursday said the three prisoners who had escaped from custody while receiving medical examination in a clinic in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi had been arrested.

In his social media post, Bregadze said the search operation was “successfully completed in close coordination” with the country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs, with the Minister extending his gratitude to Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri and law enforcement forces for their “great support”.

This incomplete 24-hour history should be a lesson for everyone who thinks about taking illegal steps against the law enforcement system focused on ensuring the security of Georgia and protecting human rights”, he said.

The Minister also extended his gratitude to employees of the Ministry of Justice for their “high professionalism” in ensuring public safety and carrying out “all necessary measures” together with law enforcement forces.

Ministry of Justice on Wednesday told the Public Broadcaster its General Inspection had started an investigation to arrest the three prisoners after they escaped from the clinic.

Bregadze called on the prisoners to surrender to law enforcement, adding the action could mitigate their liability for the offence. He also urged family members and relatives of the escaped prisoners not to provide “any kind of assistance” to the inmates, as the act would be considered a “serious crime” and those found to have failed the advice would be “punished with the full severity of the law”.

• Justice Minister says “all necessary measures” taken for search of 3 prisoners escaped from medical facility

The Ministry later told the Public Broadcaster law enforcement agencies had arrested an employee tasked with escorting the prisoners as part of the investigation into the incident. The body said the arrest had been made on the charge of failure to discharge official duties leading to escape of detainees.

The Ministry said the group escape was punishable by imprisonment from six to eight years, while the employee tasked to escort the prisoners faced imprisonment for up to three years.