Merabishvili was not taken out of his cell, according to Corrections Minister

Ex-PM Vano Meabishvili, who currently is in pre-trial detention, has not been taken out of his prison cell, according to Georgian Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance Sozar Subari.

Subari said that Merabishvili is lying.

"This is a complete lie. On Saturday and Sunday, and as I remember on Monday as well, Vano Merabishvili was visited by his lawyer. If this [threat against Merabishvili] had actually happened, Merabishvili would have announced about this immediately. He would have asked the video recordings to bes viewed and an investigation to start on the same day. But when he saw that some people had been detained and new charges were added to him, he decided to do this kind of appeal, Subari said.

The Minister also said that he cannot ask for the video recording unless the investigation is started.

"The recordings cannot be seen because an investigation will not start on such an unrealistic issue. If the investigation is started, they will take the video recordings, otherwise no one has a right to touch them, Subari stated.

He also finds it funny that Merabishvili said his head was covered in the beginning and once he was taken to the location, he was uncovered and could freely see everyone.

"Besides, Merabishvili said that hewas taken to the location that he thinks was a department of the penitentiary system. If it were true, Merabishvili would have been sure about the location because he very well recognizes that room, Subari added.

The Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance Sozar Subari also said that Merabishvilis conditions cannot deteriorate even if anyone wants this, as many international monitoring organizations observe him in prison.

The former prime minister and ex-minister of internal affairs Vano Merabishvili accused the Chief Prosecutor Otar Partskhaladze of using pressure and threats against him, at his court hearing in Kutaisi.

According to Merabishvili, at about 1:30 am on Saturday, he was taken out of his prison cell with his head covered with his own jacket and was taken to the location which he thinks was a department of the penitentiary system.

Merabishvili said that Chief Prosecutor Partskhaladze, who was in the room, asked him to help the investigation to solve the ex-PM Zurab Zhvanias case, and also to provide information about ex-President Mikheil Saakashvilis bank accounts, otherwise Merabishvilis conditions in prison would deteriorate, and his friends would be arrested.