The Tbilisi City Court accepted the evidence presented by the Prosecutor’s Office and found Aleksandre Mukhadze [nicknamed "Killer"], former director of the 8th Penitentiary Institution, guilty of torturing a prisoner.

"Evidence examined during the trial confirmed that in May 2011, at the 8th Penitentiary Institution, Megis Kardava and Aleksandre Mukhadze coerced a detainee - held for drug-related charges - to confess to fictitious terrorist acts and implicate others. They threatened to rape him if he did not comply. Testimonies revealed that narcotics were intentionally placed to the detainee to create false grounds for his arrest.

After refusing to give a false confession, prisoner was made to watch one of the prisoners sexually assaulted and threatened that if he didn`t give the desired confession, he would be raped as well. Mukhadze also physically assaulted him multiple times.

Under severe physical and psychological pressure, at the direction of Megis Kardava, the prisoner eventually wrote a false confession. When the content didn’t meet their expectations, Mukhadze and Kardava forced him to eat the written statement. A staged sexual assault was then filmed.

The victim was interrogated multiple times within the facility and forced to confront individuals allegedly linked to the fabricated terrorist case. During one such confrontation, Kardava reportedly placed a pistol to his head and mimicked firing it.

Fearing the release of footage showing his abuse and anticipating further violence, the victim was compelled to sign a confession.

Due to the continuous acts of torture committed by Mukhadze, Kardava, and other penitentiary staff, the victim attempted suicide.

The Tbilisi City Court found Mukhadze guilty of group torture of a person in custody by a public official and sentenced him to nine years in prison.

Separate criminal proceedings are ongoing against Kardava, Oleg Patsatsia, and Viktor Kacheishvili in connection with this case", - reads the statement.