Georgia's Penitentiary Service denies violence in case of deceased prisoner

Georgia’s Special Penitentiary Service has denied allegations of violence following the death of Ioseb Gorgadze, a pre-trial detainee who died on 4 May after spending more than three months at the Vivamedi Tbilisi Clinic with alleged serious injuries.

The agency, which operates under the Ministry of Justice, on Monday said that “the fact of a fight and violence is not confirmed within the framework of the ongoing investigation.” Gorgadze was transferred from the Gldani No. 8 Penitentiary Institution to the clinic on 23 January, after his health reportedly deteriorated.

However, the lawyer representing Gorgadze, Mukhran Ghurtskaia, has rejected the official account, claiming the inmate suffered extensive physical abuse while in custody. “The person had more than 30 fractures. He was beaten, but the investigation did nothing - they are developing the version that he fell,” Ghurtskaia said.

The family of the deceased, who was detained in connection with a traffic accident on the Tsalka road last October, said they were not informed of his hospitalization until after the transfer. They believe he was subjected to violence in prison, citing alleged visible head trauma and marks consistent with strangulation.

Gorgadze was due to appear in court on 27 January, but the hearing was postponed due to his medical condition. The Public Defender’s Office later confirmed that its staff had been unable to speak with him in hospital because of his deteriorated health.