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Torture was once 'normal' in Georgia's prisons — this is how they 'effectively abolished' it

Georgia's prisons used to be dirty and dangerous. Prisoners recounted beatings and NGOs reported institutionalised torture. But since 2012, there has been an amazing turnaround.

By Mairi Mackay
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A woman cries at a prison fence as she and fellow protesters demand to see their family members during a protest rally against p
A woman cries at a prison fence as she and fellow protesters demand to see their family members during a protest rally against p

A woman cries at a prison fence as she and fellow protesters demand to see their family members during a protest rally against prison abuse in Tbilisi, Georgia in 2012. Credit: Shakh Aivazov / AP/Press Association Images. All rights reservedGeorgia’s prisons once had a chilling reputation.

Former prisoners recount harrowing stories of institutionalised torture — beatings, simulated drowning, bones purposefully broken — at the hands of guards and other officials.

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Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0