Georgian prisons minister steps down in wake of abuse video
Georgian Minister of Corrections, Probation, and Legal Assistance Khatuna Kalmakhelidze has resigned, one day after television channels controlled by political interests opposed to President Mikheil Saakashvili aired videos purportedly showing the abuse of prisoners at a jail in Tbilisi, Radio Liberty reported.
It is not clear when the videos were shot, but Georgia's Interior Ministry immediately announced the arrests of three officials at Tbilisi's Prison No. 8.
However, the government charged that some prison officials organized the abuse and its filming at the request of an inmate named Tamaz Tamazashvili, who has connections with the opposition Georgian Dream movement of billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili.
Police say $17,000 and video recording equipment were found in the office of one of the arrested prison officials.
Georgia will hold parliamentary elections on October 1.
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