Lawyer on prisoner death: We don’t know who committed violence, but prisoners alone couldn’t have

Mukhran Ghurtskaya, the lawyer representing the prisoner who died at the Vivamedi clinic on May 4, states his client was beaten, and he suspects the involvement of penitentiary service representatives in the incident.

The lawyer stated that the investigation’s developing version – that his client allegedly fell and sustained these injuries in a single fall – is “unbelievable.”

“My client was admitted to the clinic with extremely severe injuries,” the lawyer explained. “He had multiple fractures of the bones of the head and facial bones. He had about 30 injuries and was admitted to the Vivamedi clinic in an unconscious state. Form 100 from the Gldani penitentiary facility N8 indicated he had a stroke, although the Vivamedi clinic’s documents ruled out a stroke and fully described all the injuries he had. This person was severely beaten and tortured. This is a fact.

The version that the investigation is developing, that this person allegedly fell and received this injury in one fall, is unbelievable. This was confirmed by the examination, as well. The investigation has been ongoing for almost four months, and no one has been held criminally liable. No one has been arrested. It is a fact that those who committed this terrible act are being protected,” the lawyer asserted.

According to Ghurtskaya, the deceased’s family demands that the perpetrators be punished.

“The family demands that those who participated in this, as well as those who contributed to the impunity of these actions, be punished,” the lawyer noted. “We do not know who committed this violence. We have no specific version, but it is a fact that prisoners alone could not have done this. In my opinion and that of my client’s family, representatives of the penitentiary service are involved in this.”

The Special Penitentiary Service has issued a statement regarding the death of a prisoner at the Vivamed Clinic, expressing condolences to the family and condemning what they describe as manipulation of the incident by certain media outlets for political purposes. The statement emphasizes that the Ministry of Justice’s relevant department immediately launched an investigation into the incident, with intensive investigative actions ongoing. Currently, the Special Investigation Service is also involved in the investigation. The public will be informed of the results after the investigation is completed.