Penitentiary Service rejects claims on shaving suspect’s hair against his will, violating legal rights

The Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia on Monday rejected claims of an individual arrested for assaulting police during last month’s protests in Tbilisi against the bill on transparency of foreign influence having had his hair shaven against his will and denied access to his legal team.

The body denied the allegations by lawyers of Lazare Grigoriadis, who was arrested on March 29 - over three weeks following the protests that saw demonstrators clash with law enforcement outside the Parliament in Tbilisi - and sentenced to preventive detention in a case that saw public protests in his support.

Grigoriadis was charged with throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at police officers and setting fire to a police vehicle, and is facing between seven and 11 years in prison if found guilty. 

Lika Bitadze, a lawyer of Grigoriadis, on Monday claimed the defendant had had his hair shaven against his will, had been subjected to psychological pressure during interrogation and denied legal representation following the March 31 court ruling on preventive detention. 

In response to the allegations, the Service said the claim on Grigoriadis being forced to shave his head was “not true” and called the allegation on the arrested citizen not being granted the right to legal representation “a lie”. 

The body also said upon his admission to prison, Grigoriadis had been introduced to his rights, with a representative of the Public Defender’s Office also allowed to visit him the same day.

It also said the inmate had “used barber services” based on Article 21 of the Code on Detention. 

The Article stipulates the right of inmates to “ensure their personal hygiene without violations of their honour and dignity”, while also allowing the Service to request them to shave their head based on a doctor's request or “need to maintain hygiene”.