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109:. In 2005, it was reported that attacks and abductions were carried out on the street by plainclothes security service agents. In 2006, with the announcement of zero tolerance policy by Mikheil Saakashvili, and the massive surge of prisoner numbers, from 9,688 in 2005 to 21,075 in 2009, the shift of physical ill-treatment was reported from the police to the penitentiary system by 2007. Along with that, Georgia also saw increase in extrajudicial killings by police by 2006. Gldani prison No 8, Medical Establishment No 18, Ksani Prison No 15 and Kutaisi Prison No 2 were the prisons often highlighted as especially problematic. According to reports, "newly arriving detainees would get a "welcoming beating" after being transferred to a prison in order to intimidate them".
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beatings with fists, butts of guns and truncheons and the use of electric shocks, cigarette burns, gagging, blindfolding, burns, threats to the detainees family, "suspending a detainee from a pole between two tables," placing plastic bags over the head of a detainee, hanging of persons upside down, and etc., with the severity of ill-treatment so high that it could be classified as
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In the third video an
Armenian prisoner is shown fettered to a cell rod and cursing Georgian prison officers. In the same video a masked man is appealing to the torturers not to record a video of him. He is mocked, humiliated and possibly raped. The third part of the video shows a rear view of a man
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The news was met with a strong response from
Georgian students. The protests drew a large number of students who protested the condition of the prison system and the inhumane treatment of prisoners shown in the video. Student groups declared that the scandal was not an isolated case and emphasized
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means. Due to mass incarceration, the prisoner numbers shot up from 6,000 in 2003 to 24,000 in 2012. During this time, the ill-treatment of prisoners increased, initially in police custody (police stations and temporary isolators), with the methods of ill-treatment including, among other things,
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The scandal was unique in
Georgian history in that it was initially shared and discussed on social media, before the story began to appear on Georgia's largely pro-government television channels. The highly controversial video footage resulted in orchestrated rallies in cities such as
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On 20 August 2024, the
Georgian Dream party announced its intention to initiate legal proceedings in the Georgain Constitutional Court to ban the United National Movement and its offshoot parties, including for widespread use of torture against the population. The ruling party head
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to immediately enter all prisons with patrol police. "There must be zero tolerance to any violations of human rights, because we are building a civilised and humane country, rather than discipline based on violence," he said.
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involving the recorded abuse of inmates in the
Georgian prison system. On September 18, 2012, several videos were released showing prison guards and their superiors torturing, taunting, and sexually assaulting detainees in
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announced that the plans to ban the United
National Movement were set up already in 2012-2013 but could not be implemented because "top Western officials fought tooth and nail to defend the bloody criminals". The
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In the second video a man is forced to take off his underpants and do what he was told. He is then insulted and spat upon; During the offence, an attacker makes references to him being a
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In 2013, over the span of three months, the newly elected government granted large-scale prison amnesty reducing
Georgia's 24,000-person strong prison population by half.
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that this was the fault of the system, which needed to change. The absence of free, impartial media sources and freedom of expression was also a cause of the protests.
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and was briefly wanted in connection with the abuse, but eventually the prosecution decided to relieve him of criminal responsibility as a result of
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57:. Upset by images of graphic prisoner abuse, protestors demanded justice and promised to continue their protests. Later that night
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An orchestrated protest rally gathered around the
Philharmonic Hall on September 18, where the president was expected to arrive.
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Coalition in the parliamentary elections. The new administration promised to improve the penal system and prison conditions.
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605:"Bidzina Ivanishvili: Free, independent, sovereign Georgia, EU member, united, whole Georgia โ this is our Georgian dream"
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The video footage, which confirmed long-standing allegations of ill-treatment of prisoners, was revealed two weeks before
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The video evidence of prison torture was leaked by a former prison officer
Vladimir Bedukadze, who fled to
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439:"Crime and Excessive Punishment: the Prevalence and Causes of Human Rights Abse in Georgia' prisons"
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Gavin Slade; Iago
Kachkachishvili; Lela Tsiskarishvili; Nika Jeiranashvili; Nino Gobronidze (2014).
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65:, the Chairman of the Penitentiary Department. Several days later, Kalmakhelidze herself resigned.
573:"GD declares 2024 elections referendum on war vs. peace, traditional values vs. moral degradation"
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on the grounds that Bedukadze helped to uncover "systemic crimes in the Georgian penitentiary".
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No. 8 Prison. The scandal highlighted the widespread torture in the Georgian prisons under the
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On the next day, protesters reconvened again outside the Philharmonic Hall and marched on
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In the videos prisoners are shown being raped with broom handles and police batons.
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Saakashvili demanded a complete overhaul of the prison system and commanded
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Vladimir Bedukadze thanks government for exemption from criminal liability
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369:"แกแแฅแแ แแแแแแก แแแแแขแแแฃแ แ แแแแแจแแคแขแ (แแแฌแแแ แแแแ แ - แแแชแแแแแแฃแ แ แแแซแ แแแแ)"
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Protesters Want Resignation of Some Key Senior Officials - Civil.ge
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486:"Armenian prisoner among the abused in Georgian Gldani prison"
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Torture in Georgian prisons under the United National Movement
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Georgia prison abuse film prompts staff suspension - BBC
305:"Georgia prison scandal highlights widespread torture"
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came to power in Georgia through the Western-backed
533:"Parliamentary Speaker Signs Amnesty Bill into Law"
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under threat of being raped if they did not comply.
145:The first video shows ten prison guards conducting
266:warned Georgia not to ban the mentioned parties.
619:"EU warns Georgia not to ban opposition parties"
192:Student with sign saying "Revolution of brooms".
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553:"Over 8,300 Inmates Freed in Mass Amnesty"
137:Part of Gldani where the prison is located
20:was a political scandal in the country of
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246:party suffered a landslide defeat to the
679:Human rights abuses in Georgia (country)
342:"US campaign behind the turmoil in Kiev"
637:Georgian prisoners rape in Tbilisi 2012
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286:Videos of Inmates Abuse, Rape Emerged
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242:. On October 1, 2012, the governing
160:who is repeatedly asked if he was
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714:Penal system in Georgia (country)
340:Traynor, Ian (25 November 2004).
221:towards the government's office.
446:Open Society Georgia Foundation
390:"The Biopolitics of Iron Lady"
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704:Scandals in Georgia (country)
171:In the fourth video is shown
719:Violence against men in Asia
411:"Georgia's neoliberal agony"
164:answers of which were all: "
621:. Politico. 27 August 2024.
240:the parliamentary elections
100:reforms in Georgia through
96:. It started to implement
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689:2012 in Georgia (country)
593:. 1tv.ge. 28 August 2024.
147:physical and verbal abuse
648:Georgian prisoners' rape
607:. 1tv.ge. 29 April 2024.
244:United National Movement
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86:United National Movement
31:United National Movement
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173:youth detention center
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322:David Chakhua profile
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59:Khatuna Kalmakhelidze
18:Gldani prison scandal
659:Torture of juveniles
311:. 19 September 2012.
166:I am a thief in law!
123:plea bargaining deal
259:Bidzina Ivanishvili
197:Government reaction
90:Mikheil Saakashvili
541:. 12 January 2013.
327:2013-11-05 at the
291:2021-10-27 at the
234:Later developments
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83:liberal autocratic
579:. 20 August 2024.
210:People's response
203:Vano Merabishvili
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494:. Retrieved
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421:. Retrieved
419:. 2019-12-06
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394:. Retrieved
392:. 2019-09-10
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371:. 2013-12-25
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351:. Retrieved
347:The Guardian
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162:thief in law
154:thief in law
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63:David Chakua
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33:government.
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684:Prison rape
80:pro-Western
673:Categories
496:2012-09-20
423:2022-08-07
396:2021-08-07
375:2021-08-07
270:References
69:Background
184:Reactions
88:party of
416:OC Media
325:Archived
289:Archived
664:YouTube
653:YouTube
642:YouTube
474:YouTube
353:12 July
119:Belgium
107:torture
98:liberal
51:Kutaisi
39:Tbilisi
22:Georgia
577:1tv.ge
129:Videos
61:fired
43:Batumi
27:Gldani
470:Video
442:(PDF)
355:2023
55:Gori
53:and
47:Poti
16:The
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651:on
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278:^
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