prisoner_abuse

The release of the videos shocked Georgians one year ago.

TBILISI, DFWatch–Local and international human rights organizations are to examine the footage of prisoner abuse, one year after it created a firestorm of criticism in Georgia.

A handful of videos were leaked to the media by a former prison guard less than two weeks before the parliamentary election in 2012, leading to a public outcry and the resignation of two ministers.

The organizations will study the videos and look into each separate case of torture and mistreatment in Georgian prisons.

They plan to meet and question 1 200 prisoners, out of which 600 have been released.

Representatives of the Prison Ministry and ten non-governmental organizations presented plans Tuesday at Tbilisi Courtyard Marriot. Their goal is to study the motives of torture in prisons, why it was filmed and photographed, what torture methods that were common, and where the mistreatment took place.

In the end, the experts will make recommendations to the government of Georgia about how to manage prisons and avoid mistreatment.

The project will last for three years. The first results will be published in the first half of 2014.