Inmate Died at Kutaisi Prison After Reportedly Falling From Bunk Bed, Penitentiary Service Says

An inmate identified as G.G. died at Penitentiary Facility No. 2 in Kutaisi on October 9 after reportedly falling from the upper level of a bunk bed, the Special Penitentiary Service said on October 15, citing accounts from cellmates. The death comes amid growing scrutiny of Georgia’s penitentiary system over allegations of ill-treatment.

The service said G.G. had been placed in Penitentiary Facility No. 2 on October 2, 2026, while facing charges under Article 276, Parts I-V, of the Criminal Code, which concerns “violation of traffic safety rules or rules for operating transport.”

“At 14:35 on October 9, 2026, defendant G.G.’s cellmates informed facility staff that he had been lying on the second level of a bunk bed, fell from the bed and landed face down on the floor,” the agency said, adding that five other inmates were in the cell at the time.

The service also said a social worker was standing in the corridor outside the cell and “was communicating with one of the convicts through the cell door’s window on a particular matter,” and that she also heard “the sound of the fall in the cell, which is clearly visible in her reaction captured on video by a surveillance camera installed in the facility’s corridor.”

The muted video released by the service shows a woman standing outside the cell before prison staff enters it. The inmates subsequently leave the cell appearing distressed, while a prison officer is seen speaking inaudibly into a two-way radio.

The agency said medical staff arrived “approximately one minute after” being notified and provided first aid. An ambulance was called at 14:36 and arrived at 14:50, but “despite the efforts of the medical personnel, the defendant could not be saved, and his death was pronounced at 15:15,” it said.

“The Special Penitentiary Service immediately notified the Imereti Regional Prosecutor’s Office of the incident, after which an investigation was launched,” the statement said, adding that the Service is “actively cooperating” with the investigative authorities and has already provided them with all materials related to the case.

The death of an inmate comes amid recent broader scrutiny of alleged ill-treatment and other incidents in Georgia’s penitentiary system.

In a separate case, Iakob Guledani, an inmate at Rustavi’s Penitentiary Facility No. 17, was found dead. The Special Penitentiary Service said he had died by suicide after being found hanging in a cell toilet, while his family disputed the official account.

In early October, another controversy emerged after Giorgi Davitadze, an inmate at Rustavi’s Penitentiary Facility No. 6, alleged that prison guards had sexually assaulted him in a de-escalation cell. Authorities “categorically” denied the allegations and released video footage in support of their account, which fueled more controversy from critics.

The controversy widened amid allegations that other inmates had faced punishment, including physical violence, for expressing support for Davitadze.

Also Read:

• 20/05/2026 – Georgia Has Fourth-Highest Prison Population Rate in Council of Europe’s 2025 Report
• 18/02/2026 – CoE Committee for Prevention of Torture Publishes Report on Georgia
• 17/06/2025 – Abuse Allegations as Man Dies After Police Custody

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