Round Table “Ill-treatment – old and new challenges”

The round table “Ill-treatment and old and new challenges” was arranged on May 17, 2013 in Courtyard Marriott. The event took place in the framework of GYLA and Public Defender’s joint project “Improvement of Prisoners’ Rights –Joint Advocacy.”

Reinforcement of National Prevention Mechanism is one of the directions of the project “Improvement of Prisoners’ Rights –Joint Advocacy”. Within the scope of the direction GYLA’s three representatives participated in the monitoring carried out by National Prevention Mechanism in January-February 2012 , 2013. GYLA representatives were also involved in special monitoring of the National Prevention Mechanism implemented in September 12, 2012.  Ill-treatment was the special focus of the monitoring and aimed examination of situation in terms of human rights protection in penitentiaries and temporary detention isolators of the East Georgia. 

Although, ill-treatment was the special focus of the monitoring, the project team also studied other issues that might be linked directly to ill-treatment, such as: prison conditions, discipline and punishment and contact with outside world.

The monitoring and recent developments clarified again that ill-treatment was a systemic problem of Georgian penitentiary system. In addition, ineffective investigation of facts of ill-treatment, non-uniform practice of disciplinary punishment and inadequate living conditions were also identified among problematic issues by 2012.

As for conditions in temporary detention isolators, ventilation in prison cells, heating, light, space per prisoner and nutrition are in the list of problematic issues. 

The round table aimed to present monitoring results of National Prevention Mechanism for 2012 period, as well as to discuss current situation and assess the new challenges.  

Representatives from international organizations, NGOs and government were invited to the event.

The project is funded by Open Society Foundation.