6 September 2014, when the Public Defender’s trustees were visiting the Institution no. 17, they learned that Prisoner O.G. attempted to commit a suicide. As a result, the prisoner had a purple injury at the whole length on his neck. Our representatives checked the injuries journal but this latter injury was not documented either. On 12 November 2014, the Public Defender’s trustees were visiting the Institution no. 8 of the Penitentiary Department. During the visit, they heard sounds of quarreling and yelling as they were on the staircase that goes down to the Smart Reception Unit. Our representatives tried to find the room where these sounds were coming from. In the corridor, near the shower room, they observed a trace of newly wiped off blood and a stain. The prison staff looked troubled, talking to each other with abrupt phrases and showing anger towards the Public Defender’s trustees. A Public Defender’s trustee inquired into how the blood traces occurred and what the noise was coming from. A deputy director of the Institution no. 8 replied that they were keeping (drunk) prisoners at the Smart Reception Unit and the prisoners were verbally abusing him and his employees. The Public Defender’s trustees announced they wanted to see the prisoners immediately. This request was met with manifest and unhidden discontent on the part of the prison staff who were present there. However, the Public Defender’s trustees insisted; they entered the shower room where they saw the prison staff were keeping detained prisoners M.U. and M.F. As the Public Defender’s trustees entered the shower room, they saw both prisoners, in wet clothes, lying on the floor. M.U.’s hands and legs were fastened to each other with a special chain (the shackles had a single structure). Both prisoners had traces of violence on their bodies, including their faces. M.U. had a cut in his forehead that was bleeding; he had other multiple injuries too. Prisoner M.F. had a bruise in his right eye. The Public Defender’s trustees demanded that the deputy directors of the Institution no. 8 of the Penitentiary Department provide explanations about the prisoners’ condition and the origin of the injuries. The deputy directors stated the injuries came from falling. The Public Defender’s trustees enquired about the reason for keeping the prisoners in the shower room, in wet clothes and with their hands and legs fastened. One of the deputy directors replied that at that point it would be unreasonable to place these prisoners with other inmates in solitary confinement cells; and them lying on the floor in wet clothes was caused by their own negligence. As the deputy director and the chief of the security unit stated, the prisoners were not placed in the de-escalation zone since this would require drawing up relevant documents; moreover, they were wet and soiled with blood. For these reasons, they decided to keep the prisoners in the shower room. The Public Defender’s trustee demanded that the prisoner injuries be entered and described in the relevant journal. The trustees noticed the prison doctor was under pressure from the prison administration, which was the reason of why the prisoners’ 22 NATIONAL PREVENTIVE MECHANISM OF GEORGIA

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