Georgian authorities to revise cases of life-term convicts

The cases of life-long prisoners will be reviewed; the issue will be considered by the Parliament of Georgia, said Eka Beseliya, the Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights, after visiting Gldani Prison No. 8.

On April 15, 70 such inmates kept at Gldani Prison No. 8 in Georgia went on a hunger strike; on April 18, the Ministry of Corrections issued a statement saying that the regime of visiting the inmates might be reconsidered. On April 25, the hunger strike was stopped.

On May 3, the inmates of Gldani Prison No. 8 were visited by Eka Beseliya and Sozar Subari, Minister of Corrections. Ms Beseliya said later that the inmates' demands to reconsider their cases are fair.

"We'll discuss the issue at Parliament and try to show them that we are in favour of human treatment of them," the "Georgia-Online" quoted on the May 3 the chair of the parliamentary committee.

According to Sozar Subari, Minister of Corrections, the cases of life prisoners will be reviewed by a special commission; or such prisoners will be eligible for conditional early relief (CER) after serving 20 years, the "Echo of the Caucasus" reports.