Georgian PM Wants Prosecutor To Revise Jail Torture Decision

Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili has called on Georgia's prosecutor-general to revise his decision to release a former prison official who published videos showing guards torturing inmates.

Ivanishvili released a statement on July 8 saying that although Vladimer Bedukadze cooperated with the investigation, the decision to release him last month did not reflect the seriousness of the case.

Bedukadze was arrested in January after flying to Tbilisi from Europe.

Georgian authorities put Bedukadze on Interpol's wanted list in September after he released videos showing prison guards torturing inmates while he was present.

Two senior government officials resigned in the wake of the scandal.

The videos were made public ahead of the country's October parliamentary elections.

Prosecutor-General Archil Kbilashvili released Bedukadze in mid-June for his whistle-blowing role in the case.
Based on reporting by apsny.ge and Interfax