Seven people, including the former head of Georgia’s Special Penitentiary Service and the former director of Gldani prison, have been charged over allegations of violence against an inmate at Gldani Prison No. 8. Deputy Prosecutor General Amiran Guluashvili said the case stems from claims that the inmate was assaulted by fellow prisoners after a group was deliberately placed in his cell in mid-October. The inmate, who was hospitalized twice in October, allegedly suffered multiple injuries. Prosecutors say the group was placed in the cell on October 16, after instructions and decisions involving the penitentiary service and prison leadership, and that physical violence continued until October 20. The charges relate to an alleged attempt to gain access to the inmate’s phone, first described by the family and later repeated by the inmate himself. Guluashvili said the inmate sustained multiple injuries across his body, including fractures of four ribs and the transverse processes of vertebrae, as well as a concussion. Prosecutors classify the injuries as less serious bodily harm, resulting in prolonged health impairment. The penitentiary service initially denied the assault. The then-head of the Special Penitentiary Service later resigned after the Prosecutor General’s Office took over the investigation, followed by the dismissal of the Gldani prison director. Prosecutors charged the former penitentiary service head with exceeding official authority, and the former prison director with abusing official authority. If convicted, each faces up to three years in prison. Five inmates were charged with inflicting deliberate less serious harm to health, carrying four to six years in jail. The latest status is that seven people have been charged, as the case awaits further court proceedings.