A/HRC/4/33/Add.1 Page 100 Para Country Date Type Mandate Allegations transmitted Government Response inmates by employees of the Department of the Execution of Punishment on 26 March 2006, in which the Department’s Director had personally been involved. During the clashes, the Special Task Force members used excessive force, such as employing live ammunition against the unarmed prisoners, and inflicted severe injuries on many inmates. Despite the fact that the injured inmates needed medical aid, a doctor was allowed to see them only after the Public Defender intervened the next day. No independent official investigation into the 27 March incident has been initiated, in particular into potential human rights violations by staff of the Special Task Force. engines were mobilized. However, they did not succeed in extinguishing the fire. Officials, such as the Public Defender and the Chairperson of the Parliament’s Human Rights Committee negotiated with the prisoners in order to resolve the situation peacefully, but the prisoners did not follow their directions. Officials addressed the inmates with loudspeakers requesting them to calm down and return to their cells, also warning that otherwise they would use force, but to no avail. Ministry of Justice forces were present, but in insufficient numbers. Therefore Ministry of Interior special forces were ordered to carry out an operation avoiding casualties. The entire operation was carried out in full compliance with Georgian legislation and prison rules. The Public Defender and the Chairperson of the Parliament’s Human Rights Committee were present throughout the operation. The Ministry of Justice regrets that seven prisoners died and 22 were wounded. It stresses that it has dealt with the situation transparently by holding several briefings and meeting with the Parliament. It emphasises that the Government of Georgia is in favour of a non-biased and genuine investigation of the events by the General Prosecutor’s Office. The Government also provided the forensic reports on the seven deceased detainees, which indicated that their deaths were the result of gunshots.