Penitentiary Service: Zurab Japaridze’s сlaim еhat he was aware of specific release time in advance is lie

The Special Penitentiary Service issued a statement regarding the release of Zurab Girchi Japaridze.

According to the statement, the legislation does not provide for advance notification of a prisoner or any form of agreement with them concerning a specific release time.

“The Special Penitentiary Service is responding to speculative information circulated regarding the release of prisoner Zurab Girchi Japaridze.

In accordance with legislation, a prisoner is released from a detention facility on the day before the completion of their sentence.

The released prisoner is returned their personal belongings, clothing and footwear which were stored at the penitentiary institution. Prisoner Zurab Japaridze also took his own clothing with him when leaving the institution.

The legislation does not provide for advance notification of the prisoner and/or any form of agreement with them concerning a specific release time. Accordingly, it is unclear what formed the basis of the prisoner’s expectation that he should have left the penitentiary institution at 10:30. Zurab Japaridze’s claim that he was informed several days ago about a specific release time is a lie.

At the penitentiary institution, in accordance with the institution’s daily schedule, work begins at 08:00. Resolving the formal matters related to prisoner Zurab Japaridze’s release required minimal time, and he was released at approximately 08:30 in full compliance with the Penitentiary Code and the institution’s requirements. The Special Penitentiary Service calls on everyone to refrain from disseminating statements which do not correspond to reality and are intended in some way or form to discredit the Service’s activities,” the statement reads.

For the context, the leader of Girchi-More Freedom party, Zurab Japaridze, noted in conversation with journalists after leaving the prison facility: “Several days ago I asked exactly what time they would release me, and they told me I should be ready for approximately 10:30, but what happened was that at 08:00 in the morning they brought me outside. They explained nothing.”