TBILISI, October 5 – Georgian prisoner Giorgi Davitadze swallowed several unidentified small objects on Sunday and is refusing transfer to a clinic.
The incident occurred as part of a protest against the treatment of fellow inmates who supported him, the Public Defender’s Office said in a statement on Monday.
Representatives of the Public Defender visited Prison No. 6 on October 3 and 4 and met Davitadze as well as three other prisoners who had protested over his treatment.
The Public Defender said Davitadze swallowed several unidentified small objects on October 4. When representatives later met him, he said he felt well but refused transfer to a clinic.
Davitadze said his refusal to go to hospital was a form of protest and that he would not agree to be transferred until prisoners who had supported him and were moved to so-called ‘de-escalation’ rooms were returned to their cells.
‘De-escalation’ rooms, are special room used to isolate and monitor inmates considered at risk of harming themselves or others. It was while Davitadze was held in this type of room that the alleged abuse took place in December last year.
Public Defender representatives also spoke with the three prisoners about the reasons for their protest and conditions inside the prison. The watchdog said it would continue monitoring protection of Davitadze’s rights.
Davitadze has alleged that prison staff sexually assaulted and mistreated him inside a ‘de-escalation’ room at Prison No. 6 on December 20-21, 2025, while the Penitentiary Service denies the allegation.
The Public Defender previously said video material it reviewed did not confirm the details of severe violence described by Davitadze, while stressing that investigators should assess the case using all available evidence.
Prosecutors opened an investigation in December 2025 after the Public Defender referred Davitadze’s complaint.
