National Preventive Mechanism and towel. According to him, he remained in the shower rooms for 3-4 days after which he was taken to a room next to the showers for the purpose of shaving his head. According to convict, he was told to kneel, however he refused, justified his refusal with a meniscus problem he had, and sat on the floor. Because of this the establishment personnel (as the convict said there were 7-8 workers in the room) verbally and physically assaulted him, namely, he was kicked and beaten with water pipes. As the convict said, the very same night he again was brought to one of the cells where he met the establishment personnel Dima with two other others. He was asked to cooperate with them and to confirm this in writing. According to convict, he refused and for this reason the establishment personnel Dima wrapped a plastic pipe around his neck. As the convict explained, such treatment inflicted towards newly-incarcerated inmates by N15 establishment personnel had a regular character. Convict Paata M. explained, that after his transfer to N15 establishment he was twice placed in a solitary confinement cell. After leaving the solitary cell he was taken at the duty room and placed near the window. This took place on February 3rd and it was cold so he asked to close the window but instead of closing the window officer Dato opened another one which was protested by the convict. According to the convict, the officer verbally assaulted him. After this he was taken to the second floor of the administration building and brought into a room where 7-8 guards entered, among them, Levan Lezhava, who was told by the guards that Paata M. was not obeying prison guards. Levan Lezhava verbally assaulted the convict and slapped him in the face and after this other guards, who were present there, also started beating him. According to the convict, as a result of the beating, he suffered a damaged ankle. Subsequently, Levan Lezhava asked the guards to bring handcuffs and the convict was tied to a so-called turnstile. The inmate explained that he was left in this state for 4-5 hours. He also explained that Levan Lezhava sent the guards for an electric shocker and pressed it on his arms and neck. After this, according to the convict, he was transferred to a solitary confinement cell for 20 days. Following to the convict’s statement, he did not told anyone, since he was threatened with prolongation of sentence in case anyone obtained information about the said fact . According to convict Besik G. he was sent to N15 establishment in June, 2011 where upon arrival administration personnel of the establishment verbally and physically abused him. In his words, after he was taken to shower room where he was asked to cooperate with the administration and shave his head. According to the convict such actions had a permanent character at establishment N15. On June 28th, 2012 Public Defender applied to the Chief Persecutor of Georgia with a request to launch a preliminary investigation. Through N13/32175 reply dated July 28th, 2012, the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia informed us that on July 10th, 2012 the investigative unit of the Shida Karti and Mtskheta-Mtianeti District Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation into the criminal case N082100712801, on the fact of exceeding official powers by officers of Ksani N15 establishment of the penitentiary department, pursuant to the first paragraph of article 333 of the Penal Code of Georgia. The investigation on the said criminal case is still pending and the monitoring held in winter by Public Defenders Office revealed that representatives of the Prosecutor’s Office were conducting questionings of inmates. Case of Irakli M. On March 10th, 2012 representatives of Public Defender met and interviewed convict Irakli M. placed in N15 establishment and identified injuries of various kind during the meeting. According to the convict on March 5th, 2012 he was severely beaten up by personnel of the establishment. The convict noted that he was taken into a room located in the administrative building of the establishment where Director of the establishment Shota Tolordava, his deputy Bacho Rukhaia, officers Dima Chkhaidze, someone called Lasha, head of the social department Mamuka Shalamberidze and another officer were present. According to Irakli M. as soon as he entered the room he was thrown down and everybody together started beating him. The convict noted that Dima Chkhaizde was choking him and spitting in the mouth. Simultaneously, Shota Tolordava was kicking him in the chest. After this one of them brought a basin full of water in the room and forcibly dunk his head in it. The convict also noted that Dima Chkhaidze was holding a “Borjomi” bottle and threatened to rape him. www.ombudsman.ge NPM Report