E/CN.4/2006/6/Add.3
page 12
B. Temporary isolator of the Ministry of State Security
44.
The temporary isolator of the Ministry of State Security primarily holds persons
suspected of illegally crossing the border, visa/passport violations, terrorism, and drug
trafficking. In 2004, the Ministry of State Security was merged with the Ministry of Internal
Affairs.
45.
On 22 February 2005, the Special Rapporteur was able to examine the isolator after a
delay of almost 30 minutes while guards insisted that they were unable to locate the chief of the
isolator, Mr. V. Imedashvili. An examination of the medical records and registry revealed that
they were poorly kept, including missing entries. There was a shared shower and toilet facility
which was clean and well maintained. The seven detention cells were located in a separate wing,
each comprising two bunk beds, two chairs, a chess board and a water jug. All were clean,
empty, and had sufficient lighting, fresh bedding and linen. Despite the cold, the windows of
two cells were open, and the Special Rapporteur had the strong suspicion that a prisoner had
recently moved out from one of these cells.
C. Facilities of the Ministry of Justice
46.
The facilities under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice hold pretrial prisoners and
convicted prisoners according to a general, or strict regime.
47.
On 22 February 2005, the Special Rapporteur visited Prison No. 1, the product of an
administrative merger of the former Prison No. 5 and Prison No. 1, and the Prison Hospital,
which is located adjacent to the detention blocks. According to the director of Prison No. 1,
Mr. M. Sinaunridze, on the day of the visit Prison No. 1 had 2,613 detainees, 100 of whom had
been convicted; the vast majority were in pretrial detention. Despite the merger, the two prisons
effectively exist and function as they did before. In the former Prison No. 5, the cells were
overcrowded and exceeded official capacity (in one cell the Special Rapporteur noted that there
were 41 prisoners in a cell with only 16 beds); poorly lit, heated and ventilated; damp; filthy,
especially the toilet-cum-shower facility; and had inadequate bedding; the premises were
decaying, and many window-openings had steel sheets welded to the outside bars, which
restricted light but would also restrict ventilation in warmer months. The conditions were much
the same in the main block of the former Prison No. 1, as well as for the 10 prisoners in
the 14 basement cells, which held, among others, prisoners in solitary confinement, or prisoners
who the prison administration felt needed to be separated from the rest of the prison population
for their own protection.
48.
The Special Rapporteur was informed by the director of the Prison Hospital,
Mr. E. Zambakhidze, that 261 prisoners, both pretrial detainees and convicts, were receiving
treatment. He explained that although the hospital could provide a wide variety of treatments,
serious cases were moved to civilian hospitals.
49.
On 23 February, the Special Rapporteur visited Prison No. 5 (the women’s pretrial
facility and prison colony). The pretrial section held 108 prisoners, who were kept in cells for
four to six persons and equipped with a toilet. The section had a meeting room with a toilet, a
bench to lie down on, an aquarium and a small collection of books. Seventy convicted prisoners
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