The family of Levan Khabeishvili, a currently incarcerated member of the United National Movement, has written to the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia, the State Security Service, and the Special Penitentiary Service, urging them to facilitate communication with their minor children through both short- and long-term visits.

They have also warned that, should their request be ignored, they will escalate the matter by appealing to local and international organisations dedicated to defending children’s rights.

“In accordance with Georgian legislation and international standards, detention or pre-trial custody does not constitute grounds for restricting a prisoner’s contact and meetings with family members, including minor children. The Constitution of Georgia, the Penal Code, the Child Rights Code, as well as the European Convention on Human Rights, guarantee the right to family life, parent-child contact, and meetings. Any restriction can only be justified on specific, individual, and substantiated grounds, none of which apply in the case of Levan Khabeishvili. It remains unclear what basis or purpose underpins the prohibition on communication or meetings with his children. Moreover, this restriction appears to be a political act and a tool of repression against a politician.

We demand that Levan Khabeishvili be granted contact with his minor children through telephone calls, video calls, and written correspondence. We also insist that meetings with his children be organised and documented, ensuring they occur both as short-term and long-term arrangements, in accordance with the best interests of the child.

We emphasise once again that this issue pertains to the child’s best interests, the right to family life, and the minimum standards protected by law.

We call for a prompt response. Failing that, we will escalate the matter by appealing to local and international organisations advocating for children’s rights,” the statement, submitted to the prosecutor’s office by Levan Khabeishvili’s family members and friends, reads.