Justice minister dismissed claims of ombudswoman, says gov’t runs prisons not criminal bosses
Georgian Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani has responded to the ombudswoman’s statement on prisons. Photo: Justice Ministry press office.
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Georgian Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani has dismissed the reports by Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria that prisons are run by criminal bosses.
I can definitely say it is wrong that criminals run prisons. Prisons are run by the government. There are cases when one prisoner tries to oppress another and the state is doing its utmost to prevent or react to such incidents. I believe that the problem has been seen differently [by the ombudswoman],” Tsulukiani said.
In her statement dedicated to Human Rights Day yesterday Lomjaria pointed at the existence of a “criminal subculture in prisons.”
She said that her office personnel received the information from inmates and several of the employees of prisons.
Georgian officials have marked global celebrations of Human Rights Day today. Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia wrote on his Twitter that "inequality should not be an issue in the modern world when there is so much need for unity and peace".
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has spoken about human rights challenges in the country on International Human Rights Day marked today.
The latest Council of Europe survey for mortality rates amongst inmates ranks Georgia as the fifth lowest.
Georgia’s current penitentiary management system is set to undergo a major overhaul, with plans to retrain staff, introduce inmates’ rehabilitation programs and ensure more security at Georgia’s prisons.
Georgian Justice Minister Tea Tsulukiani and Ombudswoman Nino Lomjaria argued with each other in parliament today, during a presentation of Lomjaria’s report on the situation in four prisons of Georgia.The report says that inmates in #2, #8, #14 and #15 prisons are subjected to violence both from the administration and other inmates.The report reads that the influence of the “criminal subculture” in prisons, “the informal running of prisons by criminal bosses, so-called supervisors and others with criminal-mentality” still remains high.
Georgian Public Defender Nino Lomjaria has stated that so-called prison watchers (inmates) and not prison administration ensure ‘fictitious order’ in prisons and that groups of inmates ‘have been systematically carrying out verbal attacks, threats and aggression’ against the employees of the Public Defender’s Office.