Increasing anxiety about the condition of imprisoned Georgian footballer

The Labor Party addressed the diplomatic corps, the Public Defender’s Office and international human rights organizations to protect the life of Giorgi Demetradze, Georgian football player now in detention. In a document released on Monday the Labor Party asked the Ombudsman Giorgi Tugushi to monitor Demetradze’s conditions in the Rustavi #6 penitentiary facility and addressed President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili and the Minister of Corrections and Legal Assistance, Khatuna Kalmakhelidze, to immediately improve the situation of the detainee.

The former football player Demetradze was convicted for extortion through blackmail and intimidation as a “tax for a criminal network” and sentenced to six years imprisonment in July, 2010. According to information released by media outlets in recent days Demetradze’s health has deteriorated in the prison. As his lawyer, Marika Pkhaladze told Kviris Palitra the detainee was about to commit suicide because of the hard conditions he has to endure in the prison.

Pkhaladze worried about the psychological and physical pressure on the footballer whose plastic card has been blocked so he can’t buy food or use the hygienic facilities. “The prison administration seems to have groped the prisoners they dislike so that none of them can use their cards at present. Demetradze can hardly stand the dirty smelly cell conditions and isn’t even allowed to have a walk in fresh air like other detainees do every day,” Pkhaladze said, demanding the abolishment of the special regime for Demetradze.

“The prison administration has been violating the law by blocking the card of a detainee, needed for buying basic things. Moreover, the food the administration distributes is of such low quality it may endanger his health,” Nana Kakabadze, the Head of Former Political Prisoners for Human Rights said, accusing the prison administration of annihilating those detainees who refuse to cooperate with them. “We are trying to inform international organizations about Demetradze’s conditions but he may not even survive the terrible torture,” Kakabadze said. The former footballer has refused to plead guilty to the crime.

According to the International Secretary of the Labor Party Nestan Kirtadze they would mediate the detainee with the State Pardon Commission. Worrying about the high number of deaths within the penitentiary system, Kirtadze condemned the physical violence on detainees and demanded suspension of the “death statistics”. Kirtadze stressed that the Labor Party has fulfilled its obligation towards Demetradze by addressing the local and international organizations to monitor the case. If Demetradze and his family would consent, the Party will demand changing his sentence according to necessary procedures. “This is a political issue – we have to protect the lives of the prisoners!” Kirtadze told The Messenger.

Promising they would ensure the safety of the football player, still no steps have been made by the penitentiary system representatives so far. “I am very much interested in Demetradze’s fate,” Dimitri Lortkipanidze Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights and Civil Integration told The Messenger, saying he was confident that the rights of the former footballer would be maximally protected by penitentiary authorities.