Georgian NGOs accuse the government in hiding information about a riot in Tbilisi prison

On March 28, a number of Georgian non-government organizations, i.e., "Young Lawyers' Association," "42nd Article of the Constitution," "Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Torture," as well as the Georgian Republican Party, published an open letter addressed to the country's leadership, in which they call on the government to make public detailed information on the riot in Tbilisi prison No. 5, reports IA Novosti-Gruziya.

"The fact that many circumstances of the incident remain unknown causes indignation," declare the authors of the letter which they addressed to Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili, Minister of Justice Giye Kavtaradze, Parliament Speaker Nino Burdjanadze and Prime-minister Zurab Nogaideli.

The letter lists a number of questions to which the authors should like to have answers. In particular, why could not they avoid shedding blood in restoring order in the prison, which resulted in losses both among the police and the prisoners, if the law enforcement agencies had possessed information about the planned riot. The authors of the letter should also like to know, how the three criminal authorities who were discussing the preparations for the riot and whose conversation was recorded by a hidden camera, could be in one cell. Also there is the question of how and where from the arms came at their disposal.

The authors of the letter also ask the question of "why the riot troops used firearms rather than rubber bullets and tear-gas, as is done in all civilized countries, in restoring order in the prison." The letter contains an opinion that the high number of killed and wounded among the prisoners was caused by negligence which was the result by poor actions of the riot squad and the heads of power authorities.

The authors of the letter consider it necessary to suspend the official duties of all administration at the Department of Enforcement of Punishments under the Georgian Ministry of Justice until the investigation ends and to bring Bacho Akhalaya, chief of the Department of Enforcement of Punishments, to criminal responsibility.

Additionally, the NGO consider it necessary to form a special commission to investigate the incident which must include non-government organizations.

On the night of March 27, a riot of prisoners took place in prison No. 5 of Tbilisi. The riot squad resorted to force in suppressing it. Seven prisoners were killed and 22 wounded as a result. Speaking at the briefing yesterday, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili highly praised the actions of the Ministry of Justice in restoring order in prison No. 5 and said that the riot squad had managed to prevent a mass escape of prisoners. "4 thousand criminals could have escaped," stated the President.

According to unofficial data announced by Elena Tevtoradze, chair of the parliamentary commission on human rights, 7 prisoners were killed and 19 wounded in the course of suppressing the riot in Tbilisi prison No. 5. Later came reports on two more prisoners killed. The official Tbilisi reported 17 wounded and one killed. All wounded persons have perforating bullet wounds.

David Ghamkrelidze, leader of the "Right Opposition" party accused the MIA leadership and the Department of Enforcement of Punishments of having provoked the prison riot. He demanded resignation of Vano Merabishvili, Minister of Internal Affairs, and Bacho Akhalaya, chief of Department of Enforcement of Punishments, reports the "Novye Izvestiya" newspaper.