Penitentiary Service: Gharibashvili Has Fully Used Visitation Limits

The Special Penitentiary Service categorically rejects the statement by convicted Irakli Gharibashvili's lawyer that he cannot exercise the visitation rights of his protected visits.

According to the agency, under the regulations of the closed-type facility where Gharibashvili is held, a convicted person is entitled to two long visits and one short visit per month per year. He has fully used these limits.

Granting an additional visit as an incentive is decided by the facility's director in accordance with the Penitentiary Code. The Penitentiary Service notes that "this is one of the forms of incentive and not an obligation of the director".

According to the service, Gharibashvili has used visits granted in this form many times, so "the defense side's statements about any restrictions are completely unfounded".

The agency was also forced to clarify this issue several months ago, when the lawyer said that a granted visit had been cancelled. The Penitentiary Service says that no additional visit was scheduled for the convicted person either then or now, so it could not have been cancelled.