Geguti Prison inmates continue hunger strike

Inmates of a prison in Western Georgia are continuing to starve themselves in protest of being physically abused by prison staff.

Hundreds of prisoners at prison No.14 in Geguti have been on a hunger strike for more than a week after accusing the prison administration of beating at least two prisoners.

Last night three inmates extremely weak from lack of food were taken to hospital. Yesterday, 17 other inmates were taken to hospital with self-inflicted injuries, treated and returned to prison. Other prisoners were also injured but did not require medical treatment.

Relatives of the inmates are keeping vigil outside the prison.

When a number of ambulances appeared near the prison last night to transport the prisoners to hospital, the relatives tried to enter the prison grounds.

The three inmates hospitalised last night were not injured but were taken to hospital to receive medical treatment as they had been on a hunger strike for five days and were extremely weak.

The Ministry in charge of the Penitentiary System said the prisoners were all in "good health” and had been returned to prison.

The State Prosecutor’s Office have begun investigating one instance of mistreatment of a prisoner. This criminal has been examined by a medical professional.

Meanwhile doctors last night said they could not identify if the injuries of inmates were self-inflicted. A representative of the Public Defender’s Office said that more than 50 inmates had self-inflicted injuries.

"We are waiting for the investigation results and the Prosecutors have to identify the reason of the hunger protest,” Public Defender Ucha Nanuashvili said.

"Our representative has met the inmates and they told us that they inflicted harm on themselves after hearing from prison guards that deployment of special purpose forces was planned inside the prison to quell their protest, but this has not been confirmed,” he said.

Nanuashvili stressed the Ministry of Corrections and Legal Assistance had to negotiate with the inmates in a legal manner and ensure all recommendations were implemented.

Hundreds of inmates of the same prison went on a hunger in strike in December last year. The group protested against authorities’ decision to delay the setting-up of a Commission that would look into alleged cases of miscarriages of justice.

The latest hunger strike of hundreds of inmates at the Geguti prison began last week in demand of an investigation into reported mistreatment of prisoners.