A/HRC/31/57/Add.3 28. Video footage showing cases of beatings and rape of inmates by prison staff in Gldani establishment No. 8 emerged on 18 September 2012 and may be considered a culminating event. 29. Following the parliamentary elections held in October 2012, the Georgian authorities committed to the fight against torture as a priority. They have since made efforts to prosecute and convict crimes of torture and ill-treatment, invested in new prison infrastructure and instituted extensive policy changes. The effort made to ensure effective application of the new laws and policies throughout the entire chain of command was reflected also in a fundamental change in the mentality of the personnel concerned. The Special Rapporteur notes that, altogether, the impact of these efforts has been visible and quantifiable at various levels. 30. The Special Rapporteur points out that 500 inmates have been declared victims after investigations, and 230 have been placed under medical examination. 31. According to information received from the Office of the Chief Prosecutor, the Office has received approximately 8,000 complaints of torture and ill-treatment committed in the era preceding the elections of October 2012; 2,500 cases have been investigated, of which 500 have been prosecuted, including 10 prison directors, 10 deputy directors, and 56 police officers. As at September 2015, 40 had been convicted, including two directors and 10 deputy directors. 32. The Office of the Chief Prosecutor informed the Special Rapporteur that it had registered 52,000 claims of torture and ill-treatment committed in the period 2004-2011, although no documentation supporting this figure was provided. The Special Rapporteur was also informed that, between January and September 2015, 12 criminal investigations were initiated into allegations of ill-treatment committed by personnel in the penitentiary (10 cases) and the police (two cases) in 2014 and 2015. Moreover, he is aware that, on 29 April 2015, three officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs were charged with torturing three recruits in aggravating circumstances. The three officers are in detention, pending proceedings. Furthermore, on 11 February 2015, charges were filed against seven inmates for torturing a fellow inmate; a hearing is now pending. 33. The Ministry of Corrections has invested in new infrastructure, closed down unsuitable establishments and renovated others. The Special Rapporteur observed good – and in some cases exemplary – sanitary conditions in all places visited, including cells, showers, kitchens and common areas. 34. Since early 2013, the prison population in Georgia has been drastically reduced (from 19,000 to less than 9,000) by a law on amnesty applicable to many different offences. Many inmates have been released through a combination of commuted sentences, the reduction of other sentences by a quarter, earlier eligibility for parole and other measures. The Special Rapporteur notes with concern, however, that some of the measures are applied in a somewhat imbalanced way (for example, with regard to persons serving life sentences). 35. The reduction in the prison population has also addressed the problem of overcrowding. Although all inmates have a bed and bedding, the Special Rapporteur notes with regret that the prison population has now grown to about 10,400 and that the system is approaching its maximum capacity (estimated at 11,500, or 4 m2 per inmate). In this regard, he welcomes efforts by the Ministry of Justice to amend the Criminal Code and to liberalize its criminal law, including by a clearer definition of criminal liability for drug possession and distribution. 7