Penitentiary Service rejects reports on restrictions on imprisoned former President, solitary confinement of Mtavari Arkhi founder
The statement also said Saakashvili had been absent from his hospital ward for undergoing a scheduled “high-tech examination,” adding his lawyer had refused to wait for the examination to be completed despite being informed about it, and left the clinic before accusing the agency of imposing restrictions on his client.Photo: Penitentiary Service's Facebook Page.
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The Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia on Saturday rejected media reports on the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili being denied family member visits, as well as on Nika Gvaramia, the founder of Mtavari Arkhi channel, being kept in solitary confinement.
The state agency responded to “unfounded” accusations of Shota Tutberidze, the lawyer of Saakashvili, who on Thursday said his client was not allowed to receive visits by his daughter while in detention, explaining “no one had applied with such request” and adding the former President’s daughter did meet him at the civilian clinic he had been later moved to.
The statement also said Saakashvili had been absent from his hospital ward for undergoing a scheduled “high-tech examination,” adding his lawyer had refused to wait for the examination to be completed despite being informed about it, and left the clinic before accusing the agency of imposing restrictions on his client.
Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi on October 1 and charged with illegally crossing the state border in his clandestine return to the country before the 2021 municipal elections.
The former president had been found guilty of abuse of power in two cases in absentia in 2018 and faces additional charges including illegal seizure of property, embezzlement and illegal rally dispersal.
The Service also responded to allegations by some local media outlets claiming Gvaramia, sentenced by Tbilisi City Court to three years and six months in prison for embezzlement, commercial bribery, forgery and money laundering, was being held in solitary confinement at the No.12 Penitentiary Institution.
Gvaramia had been informed about his rights “since the day he entered the penitentiary system” and was held in a standard cell on his own, “by his own decision,” the body said, adding “relevant documentation” confirmed the formality.
In its comments the Service called on the media to “refrain from releasing unverified, one-sided and inaccurate information” in order to “avoid misleading the public”.
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