National Preventive Mechanism The convict explained that he remained in the room for around 4 hours. Subsequently deputy directors approached him and told him not to complain about this. According to convict after his return to the cell he asked for a doctor but when the doctor came he refused to record injuries of the convict. The same day at around 11pm the convict met the director of the establishment in his office where the latter promised that if the convict did not complain he would help him in postponement of the sentence due to his illness and fulfill all requests during his stay in establishment N18. On July 25th, 2012 a written appeal was sent from Public Defender’s Office to the Chief Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia. According to the reply N13/35874 received from the Chief Prosecutor’s Office, on August 15th, 2012 anticorruption investigative unit of the Tbilisi Prosecutor’s Office launched investigation into the criminal case N010150812801 on the fact of exceeding official powers by personnel of N18 medical establishment for accused and convicts of the penitentiary department pursuant to the first paragraph of article 333 of the Penal Code of Georgia. Case of Ramaz P. met On July 20th, 2012 representatives of the Prevention and Monitoring Department met and interviewed convict Ramaz P. placed in the N17 establishment. According to the convict, on July 12th, 2012 he was transferred to N18 medical establishment for accused and convicts. According to him, on July 3rd, 2012 when he was returning from the exercise with cellmate Papuna K. deputy director of the establishment brought them to one of the rooms and asked them to recall applications sent to the European Court for Human Rights otherwise he threatened them with prolongation of their sentences. According to the convict he categorically refused and said that he did not intend to recall the complaint. According to Ramaz P. during the conversation, the Director of the establishment entered the room, who also threatened that if they did not recall their applications, their sentences would be prolonged. As Ramaz P. said the Director was trying to provoke them to start a fight but they did not fall to this provocation. As Ramaz P. noted on July 16th, 2012 he addressed the statement to Public Defender and the Minister of Corrections, Probation and Legal Assistance. According to him, in the letter addressed to the Minister he described in details the fact of pressure and threats exercised on him and referred that in December 2009 while in N2 Kutaisi establishment, illtreatment was inflicted against him. At that time Z. Rukhaia was the Director of the establishment and according to the convict this was the reason why he demanded the recall of an application from the European Court for Human Rights. The convict noted that he dropped the above statements in a complaints box, though despite numerous requests he was not given registration numbers. On July 23rd, 2012 representatives of Public Defender met with and interviewed convict Papuna K. placed in the N18 medical establishment who confirmed the narrative of Ramaz P. and noted that during the above meeting the director of the establishment several times tried to punch convict Ramaz P. Given the above, on July 23rd, 2012 Public Defender requested institution of a preliminary investigation from the Chief Prosecutor of Georgia. Relevant response to the above letter has not been received by Public Defender’s Office yet. SPECIAL MONITORING OF THE SPECIAL PREVENTIVE GROUP IN SEPTEMBER 2012 In September 2012 various media outlets disseminated video recordings shot at the Tbilisi establishment N8 of the penitentiary system identifying the facts of torture and ill-treatment inflicted on inmates – inter alia physical and mental pressure in which were involved not only prison guards but high rank officials of the penitentiary department. Among them specific persons, who were identified and named in numerous previous reports and press releases of Public Defender as officials responsible for inflicting ill-treatment. Despite this, same persons continued to be employed at the penitentiary system and the spread of impunity syndrome aggravated the content of the crime they had committed even further. www.ombudsman.ge NPM Report