Report to the Georgian Government on the Visit to Georgia Carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture An
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CPT/Inf (2015) 42 Report to the Georgian Government on the visit to Georgia carried out by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) from 1 to 11 December 2014 The Georgian Government has requested the publication of this report and of its response. The Government’s response is set out in document CPT/Inf (2015) 43. Strasbourg, 15 December 2015 Note: In accordance with Article 11, paragraph 3, of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, certain names have been deleted. - 3 - CONTENTS Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT’s report............................................................................5 Executive summary ............................................................................................................................6 I. INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................12 A. Dates of the visit and composition of the delegation ............................................................12 B. Establishments visited.............................................................................................................13 C. Consultations held by the delegation and co-operation encountered.................................13 D. Immediate observations under Article 8, paragraph 5, of the Convention .......................15 E. National Preventive Mechanism ............................................................................................15 F. Impunity...................................................................................................................................17 II. FACTS FOUND DURING THE VISIT AND ACTION PROPOSED ..............................22 A. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs ...........................22 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................22 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................23 3. Safeguards against ill-treatment ......................................................................................26 4. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................28 B. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Corrections ..................................30 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................30 2. Ill-treatment and inter-prisoner violence .........................................................................32 3. Conditions of detention ...................................................................................................38 a. material conditions .................................................................................................38 i. follow-up visit to Prison No. 3 in Batumi .....................................................38 ii. follow-up visit to Prison No. 7 in Tbilisi.......................................................39 iii. follow-up visit to Prison No.8 in Gldani (Tbilisi).........................................40 iv. Penitentiary establishment No. 9 (“Matrosov Prison”) in Tbilisi ...............42 b. regime and activities ..............................................................................................42 - 4 - 4. Health care .....................................................................................................................46 a. health-care services in the prisons visited..............................................................47 i. staff, facilities and medication.....................................................................47 ii. medical screening on admission...................................................................49 iii. medical records and confidentiality .............................................................50 iv. transmissible diseases...................................................................................51 v. psychiatric and psychological care ..............................................................51 vi. drug addiction...............................................................................................54 b. Prison Referral Hospital No. 18 (Gldani Prison Hospital).....................................55 5. Other issues of relevance to the CPT’s mandate .............................................................57 a. prison staff..............................................................................................................57 b. “special means”......................................................................................................59 c. contact with the outside world ...............................................................................61 d. discipline and solitary confinement .......................................................................63 e. complaints and inspection procedures ...................................................................65 f. information provided to prisoners..........................................................................66 C. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs .......................................................................................................67 1. Preliminary remarks ........................................................................................................67 2. Ill-treatment .....................................................................................................................68 3. Patients’ living conditions ...............................................................................................69 4. Staff and treatment...........................................................................................................72 5. Means of restraint ............................................................................................................75 6. Safeguards .......................................................................................................................77 D. Establishments under the authority of the Ministry of Defence.........................................81 APPENDIX I: LIST OF THE NATIONAL AUTHORITIES AND ORGANISATIONS MET BY THE CPT'S DELEGATION ...........................................................................................................83 APPENDIX II:: EXTRACT FROM THE 21ST GENERAL REPORT ON THE CPT'S ACTIVITIES ....85 - 5 - Copy of the letter transmitting the CPT’s report Mr Konstantin Korkelia Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Permanent Representative of Georgia to the Council of Europe 9, rue Schubert 67000 Strasbourg Strasbourg, 31 July 2015 Dear Ambassador, In pursuance of Article 10, paragraph 1, of the European Convention for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, I enclose herewith the report to the Georgian Government drawn up by the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) after its visit to Georgia from 1 to 11 December 2014. The report was adopted by the CPT at its 87th meeting, held from 29 June to 3 July 2015. The various recommendations, comments and requests for information formulated by the CPT are highlighted in bold in the body of the report. As regards more particularly the CPT’s recommendations, having regard to Article 10, paragraph 1, of the Convention, the Committee requests the Georgian authorities to provide within six months a response giving a full account of action taken to implement them. The CPT trusts that it will also be possible for the Georgian authorities to provide in that response reactions to the comments formulated in this report as well as replies to the requests for information made. As regards the recommendations in paragraphs 58 and 138, the CPT asks for the responses to be provided within one month. The CPT would ask, in the event of the responses being forwarded in the Georgian language, that they be accompanied by an English or French translation. I am at your entire disposal if you have any questions concerning either the CPT's visit report or the future procedure. Yours sincerely, Mykola Gnatovskyy President of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment - 6 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The CPT’s 5th periodic visit to Georgia provided an opportunity to assess the extent to which the recommendations made after previous visits have been implemented. Particular attention was paid to the treatment of persons in police custody, prisoners, and psychiatric patients. The co-operation received during the visit was, on the whole, of a high standard. The CPT noted a number of positive developments, in particular as regards the continuing improvement of material conditions of detention in police establishments, combating prison overcrowding and improving material conditions and healthcare services in prisons. That said, little or no progress has been made in other areas, such as regime, activities, and contact with the outside world in the prison system, the situation of psychiatric patients at Kutiri Psychiatric Hospital, and combating impunity. As pointed out by the Public Defender (Ombudsman)