Opposition in Georgia: use of arms in suppressing riot of prisoners illegal

Shalva Natelashvili, leader of the Labour Party, stated before journalists that the opposition forces intend to demand resignation of Vano Merabishvili, Minister of Internal Affairs, and the administration of the Department on Enforcement of Punishment. "The actions of the riot squad which used arms against prisoners are illegal," said Natelashvili, reports NEWSru.com.

Georgiy Kavtaradze, Georgian Minister of Justice, stated earlier today that the previous night the law enforcement agencies had prevented a riot and mass escape of dangerous criminals. "This was a well-planned and prepared operation of escape and riot. According to operational information, after a successful escape of prisoners in the pre-trial prison No. 5, similar events were to take place in other prisons as well," said the head of the Ministry of Justice.

"Two prisoners have been killed as a result, two police officers are wounded," said the Minister.

Kavtaradze noted that, after restoring order, the police had found two pieces of automatic guns in the prisoners' cells. Investigation is under way on the facts. "The decision by the police to use arms was absolutely correct. Our colleagues in the European democratic states would have done the same. All this has been a well-organized provocation which is not going to stop us. Reforms in the penitentiary system will be continued to the end," said Kavtaradze.

According to the Minister, the pre-trial prison building is virtually destroyed. The prisoners at present are being transferred to the prison facilities in other towns of the country, reports RIA "Novosti."

Earlier, the Georgian Ministry of Justice reported that, today, around 01.00 a.m., officers of the Department of Enforcing Punishments arranged a check in the cells aimed at confiscation of prohibited articles. The action of the warders caused unrest among the prisoners and they offered resolute resistance to the police. Additional police units, equipped with arms, were called.

Relatives of the prisoners who had spent all the night by the prison building told the reporters that the use of arms by police had resulted in the death of six prisoners, 13 prisoners had been wounded. Leaders of Georgian oppositional parties and non-government organizations had also been near the prison.