18:51, 9 June 2008

Georgia: 60 women-inmates start hunger strike

On June 8, some 60 prisoners of women's colony in Tbilisi announced a hunger strike demanding revision of their verdicts.

"The inmates assert that during the investigation they were exposed to lawlessness and excessive pressure and demand to revise their cases," Nana Kakabadze, leader of the NGO named "Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights", said to journalists.

Ms Kakabadze has explained, as quoted by the "Interfax", that the women demand revision of their cases, the cases of minor prisoners and improvements of custody conditions.

The press service of the Corrective Department has confirmed the fact of the hunger strike, and added that 50 persons are taking part in it. It has also refuted the information that women-inmates are serving their terms in poor conditions: quite recently, a new building was erected for them that meets the necessary hygienic and household standards, the IA "Rosbalt" reports.