Tsagareishvili: in Georgia, inmates of Rustavi prison go on hunger strike

Georgiy Tsagareishvili, a Georgian MP, asserts that already for more than a week up to 10 prisoners, who serve their terms in the Second Rustavi Prison, are holding their hunger strike. However, the Ministry for Punishment Enforcement, Probation and Legal Aid, denies this information.

On September 4, Mr Tsagareishvili said that the inmates of the Second Rustavi Prison had telephoned him twice and informed him about their on hunger strike. "The establishment is in the heaviest situation. Since August 28, about 10 prisoners went on hunger strike, some of them even sewed their mouths in protest; while the prison administration put them into dungeon on that very day, having accused them of breaching the prison internal regulations," said the Deputy.

"I wasn't given a chance to meet the inmates; therefore, I address my colleagues, those, who have mandates from the parliament leaders to enter jails, and ask them to promptly clear the circumstances and recheck this extreme information," said Tsagareishvili.

The "Georgia Times" writes that the MP has addressed with similar requests to the Minister for Punishment Enforcement, Probation and Legal Aid and Ombudsman's office.

However, the "News-Georgia" writes that the Ministry failed to confirm the information about the prisoners' hunger strike, saying that "someone had misled the deputy."