Justice Ministry releases video footage related to prisoner I.G.’s death
The Ministry of Justice of Georgia released video footage related to the death of prisoner Ioseb Gorgadze, earlier identified as I.G., amid conflicting reports.
According to the agency’s statement, only footage related to significant circumstances is being made public, which shows that no pressure or violence was used against the deceased.
“Due to high public interest, we are releasing a series of video materials regarding the accused, Ioseb Gorgadze, which demonstrates that there was no pressure or violence directed at the accused. The existing video footage is quite extensive, and we are only releasing episodes related to significant circumstances.
The video footage reflects the reality by dates and hours that no violence was committed against the accused.
We would like to note that the complete video footage for these days (from January 14 to January 23, approximately 220 hours in total) was obtained by investigators in full compliance with legal requirements and was also available to the deceased person’s legal representative.
Video #1 – On January 21, 2025, from 14:35 to 15:10, the accused I.G. was taken to the bathroom, from which he returned to the cell unharmed.
Video #2 – On January 22, 2025, at 13:16, the accused I.G. was taken out of the cell and made a phone call;
at 13:25, he entered the doctor’s room (where video surveillance is not conducted);
at 13:32, the prisoner returned to the cell.
Video #3 – On January 23, 2025, at 08:09, a service prisoner delivered food;
at 09:24, the morning cell inspection was conducted (no one left the cell) – an employee entered the cell, stayed for less than a minute and left;
at 09:32, food was distributed;
at 11:24, a service prisoner left a store bag at the cell door;
at 11:32, an employee handed over the mentioned bag (did not enter the cell), spoke from the door for less than a minute;
at 12:40, a social division employee came to the cell (did not enter), spoke through the parcel window;
at 13:51, a service prisoner came to the cell and spoke through the parcel window;
at 14:03, food was distributed;
at 14:25, employees quickly entered the cell;
at 14:27, a doctor and nurse entered the cell;
at 14:51, prisoner I.G. was taken out of the cell on a stretcher;
at 15:00, an emergency medical team arrived at the facility;
at 15:01, emergency doctors entered the medical room;
at 15:19, emergency doctors left the room;
at 15:21, the prisoner was placed in the ambulance on a stretcher;
at 15:24, the ambulance left the so-called sluice.
At 15:58, the accused was brought to the Vivamedi Clinic.
The Eastern Investigation Department of the General Inspection of the Ministry of Justice probes into this case. The results of the investigation will be communicated to the public.
We once again express our condolences for the death of the accused I.G. and extend our sympathies to his family,” the statement released by the Ministry of Justice reads.
A prisoner, Ioseb Gorgadze, earlier identified as I.G.,, died at the Vivamedi clinic on May 4. His lawyer, Mukhran Ghurtskaya, suggested his client was beaten, and he suspects the involvement of penitentiary service representatives in the incident. Clinical Director of Vivamedi Clinic yesterday stated that the prisoner was admitted to the clinic on January 23 in an unconscious state with multiple injuries. The Ministry of Justice and the Special Penitentiary Service emphasized that the investigation into the incident was immediately launched, with intensive investigative actions ongoing. The investigation reportedly does not confirm any facts of fighting or violence. The Public Defender’s Office will also study the case to identify and assess the causes of the prisoner’s death at Vivamedi Clinic.