News

Public Defender Daily Checks the Detainees’ Rights Situation

A number of visits have been paid to closed institutions, including temporary detention facilities. Given the increased public interest in the issue, we would like to provide additional details about the rights situation of the detained persons.

According to the internal regulations of temporary detention facilities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia:

  • The person placed in the facility has the right to receive information about his/her rights and duties in an understandable form and language
  • The person placed in the facility has the right to be provided with food, personal hygiene, clothes and personal safety
  • The person sentenced to administrative imprisonment that lasts longer than 24 hours shall be provided with the opportunity to take a shower twice a week
  • The food intended for persons placed in the facility should contain the components necessary for human life and health
  • The placed person has the right to receive parcels - (allowed items are listed in Annex 1 of internal regulations)
  • The facility must be provided with a 24-hour medical service in accordance with the country’s health care requirements. If no medical service is available in the facility, an emergency brigade shall be called for providing the service
  • The person placed in the facility has the right to request medical examination during the placement period and call an expert for conducting the examination at his own expenses
  • The person sentenced to administrative imprisonment that lasts longer than 24 hours has the right to request presence in the open air at least for an hour
  • The person sentenced to administrative imprisonment for more than 7 days has the right to have two meetings with close relatives during the imprisonment term. The meetings shall last one hour at least
  • The right to meet close relatives can be replaced by a telephone call on the basis of a written request of the person sentenced to administrative imprisonment
  • The person sentenced to administrative imprisonment for more than 7 days has the right to make two telephone calls during the imprisonment term, within Georgia, each lasting 10 minutes
  • The person sentenced to administrative imprisonment has the right to meet his lawyer/representative, as well as representatives of diplomatic representations, consulates and other diplomatic missions
  • The person placed in the facility has the right to enjoy free legal assistance and legal consultation in accordance with the Georgian legislation
  • The placed person has the right to use translator’s service in case of inability to speak the state language of Georgia
  • The person under administrative imprisonment has the right to send and receive unlimited amount of letters
  • The placed person has the right to file a complaint individually or together with other placed Complaints can be filed in writing
  • The placed person has the right to appeal to the Public Defender/Special Preventive Group of Georgia, as well as the General Inspection of the Ministry, with a complaint any time
  • The placed person shall be provided with a phone for the purpose of calling the hotline of the General Inspection of the Ministry and/or the Public Defender's Office. If a person uses this right, the facility shall ensure the confidentiality of the telephone conversation
  • The placed person has the right to file a confidential complaint. A complaint is confidential if it is put in a sealed envelope, which indicates the name of an addressee

121 people arrested during the night of 21 June were sentenced to administrative imprisonment of various terms. The Public Defender's Office visited the detainees in the very first hours. After the detainees had been placed in the facilities, we visited many of them in the regions. The Public Defender's Office will continue monitoring the rights situation of the detained persons in the coming days. Please provide any information about the violation of rights to the Public Defender's Office (hotline number 1481).

Woking Hours: Monday–Friday 9:00–18:00
Hot line: 1481 (24/7)