PM Kobakhidze: no cases of torture or inhumane treatment have been recorded in Georgia since 2012

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze on Saturday said the country had made progress in its prison system since 2012, transforming it from a place associated with torture to one that meets humane standards.

“You remember what the situation was like before 2012 - prisons had been turned into instruments of torture. We radically changed that reality. Since 2012, not a single case of torture or inhumane treatment has been recorded in our country and this is something everyone acknowledges. Even opposition politicians who are released from prison recognise how fundamentally the penitentiary system has improved and how well it now functions,” Kobakhidze said.

He noted that protecting this achievement remained a top priority for the Government.

“We are very protective of this progress, which is why it is a special priority for us to ensure this investigation is carried through to the end,” he added.

The Prime Minister said the Government takes “great care” to preserve the progress achieved in recent years, underscoring the importance of investigating the alleged crime involving Giorgi Kemoklidze, the former Deputy Director of the Penitentiary Department of the Special Penitentiary Service, who was detained this week in connection with the case of Giorgi Bachiashvili — the former Co-Investment Fund Director convicted of misappropriation of a substantial sum and illicit income laundering. Kemoklidze is currently detained under Article 332 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to abuse of official authority.

Kobakhidze said the investigation into the matter falls under the competence of the State Security Service, which must determine all the circumstances of the case.

“The motive seems clear - it may have been aimed at harming the state or influencing the condition of a particular inmate. The investigation must establish all the details,” the Prime Minister stated.