TBILISI, DFWatch – Thirteen prisoners from one of Georgia’s prisons went on hunger strike for five days until the election as way of showing their protest against torture and mistreatment of prisoners.

Representatives of the public defender September 26 visited facility No 17 in Rustavi, a small town near Tbilisi.

The ombudsman’s statement says that thirteen prisoners who consider themselves to be political prisoners plan to go on hunger strike until October 1. They wrote an appeal to the public defender according to which they started a protest at 00:00 on September 26. The reason is that they want to protest agianst prisoner torture and demand that the election is conducted fairly.

‘The prisoners also demand that the must-carry principle is extended also to Rustavi prison No 17 where they are held, including in the period after the election,” the statement reads.