Public defender demands safety when visiting prison - threats to staff

Public Defender Nino Lomjaria makes a special statement regarding the situation in prisons and says that after the Public Defender's Office released a critical 2020 report, Public Defender staff has been harassed by a certain group of inmates, who demanded from the staff to stop visiting prisons on the grounds that the prisons seem to be doing fine.

"At the facility N8  in Gldani, the same inmate asked the Public Defender's office to stop visiting prisons. It should be noted that this facility is closed, and this inmate used to move around when the Public Defender's representative was there" , – said Nino Lomjaria.

The Public Defender considers the possibility of staff visits to prisons only on the condition of additional security, and appeals to the government and parliament.

Nino Lomjaria stressed that the model of criminal subculture management in prisons should be changed.