Prisoner in Georgia accuses guards of sexual abuse. Penitentiary Service denies allegations
Prison violence in Georgia
Prisoner Giorgi Davitadze said staff at Prison No. 6 in Rustavi subjected him to sexual abuse. He says the incident took place on 21 December 2025, when staff moved him to a de-escalation cell. According to Davitadze, ten people attacked him there.
The Special Penitentiary Service denied the allegations. It said its video of the incident shows no signs of violence.
What happened?
TV channel Pirveli published an audio recording of testimony Davitadze gave at the Court of Appeals. According to the prisoner, the alleged abuse took place within view of surveillance cameras. However, he says the staff positioned themselves in a way that prevented the cameras from fully capturing their actions.
“They took me to a de-escalation cell and raped me with their fingers and hands. […] Ten men raped me; a guard was also present, and the whole thing is visible on camera,” Davitadze said during the hearing.
The prisoner claims that staff subjected him to pressure after he demanded a forensic medical examination. He told the court that he had tried to take his own life because he could no longer bear staying near the same staff members he accuses of abuse.
Davitadze also said staff verbally abused him in the de-escalation cell. “I tell the man, ‘I was raped.’ And the representative of the Public Defender’s Office simply lowers his head,” he said. He questioned why the verbal abuse he described to the court could not be heard on the camera recordings.
Davitadze told the judges that he would go on hunger strike unless the guards involved in the incident faced prosecution. The judges asked representatives of the service whether an investigation had begun. The prosecutor confirmed that an investigation into the incident was under way.
What does the Penitentiary Service say?
According to the Special Penitentiary Service, video footage shows that Davitadze refused to undergo a mandatory search while staff were moving him to a de-escalation cell and insulted prison staff. The service says staff later conducted a forced search using a handheld metal detector as part of their official duties.
“No violence was used against Davitadze — let alone any sexual abuse,” the Penitentiary Service said.
The service explained that it had previously refrained from publishing the footage because authorities were investigating the incident. It did not want anyone to interpret the release as an attempt to put pressure on the investigation. The service said it decided to publish the footage because of the strong public reaction and what it described as deliberate attempts by the prisoner’s family to discredit the institution.
The Penitentiary Service also said it had archived continuous video footage of Davitadze’s movements around the facility from 3 March 2026 to the present. According to the service, it can provide these recordings to all interested parties in accordance with the law.
What does Davitadze’s family say?
Irma Davitadze, Giorgi’s mother, is calling for not only the guards involved in the incident but also Shota Trapaidze, head of Prison No. 6, to face prosecution. She said the family would continue its fight until those responsible for the abuse receive punishment. In particular, she mentioned prison employee Giorgi Kvaratskhelia, whom she alleges has links to the use of violence against prisoners.
According to Irma Davitadze, the family has also collected information about possible violations that occurred at the facility in the past. The Penitentiary Service rejects these allegations, saying investigators and a representative of the Public Defender’s Office have already examined the video footage and found no signs of a crime.
Giorgi Davitadze is the son of Avtandil Davitadze, a former member of the Tbilisi City Council. Avtandil Davitadze joined the city council in 2014 on the Georgian Dream coalition list and served in the Georgian Dream–National Forum faction.
Prison violence in Georgia
