Internal Troops Refuse to Guard Jails

(Tbilisi, July 25, 2003, Civil Georgia) – Commander of the Georgian Internal Troops Gia Shervashidze rejected proposal to start guarding the jails, saying there are no funds allocated in the budget for Internal Troops for this purpose.

Recently increased jailbreaks made Justice Minister Roland Giligashvili to propose the Internal Troops, which is under the Interior Ministry’s subordination, to guard the jails.

Internal Troops commander also said that the security system in the penitentiary system is completely destroyed.

President Shevardnadze blames “hasty !
reforms in the penitentiary system” for increased jailbreaks. In 2001 as a result of reform initiated by the former Justice Minister Mikheil Saakashvili the penitentiary system went from the Interior Ministry’s subordination under the control of the Justice Ministry.