On 10 March, according to publicly available information, Zurab Menteshashvili and Denis Kulanin were placed in solitary confinement, where, according to their accounts, they are being held in conditions that may amount to inhuman or degrading treatment.
According to Menteshashvili’s legal counsel, Jano Chkadua, Menteshashvili is being held in materially inadequate conditions of detention. He is reportedly deprived of basic necessities, including a towel, toothbrush, and hygiene products, and is not provided with the means to maintain minimum sanitary conditions in his cell. Counsel further indicated that the cell is unsanitary and infested with cockroaches. According to the lawyer, Menteshashvili considers that his placement in solitary confinement may be linked to his hunger strike, as the prison administration had repeatedly requested that he discontinue it.
According to Denis Kulanin, on 3 March he and Menteshashvili were transferred to solitary confinement without being provided with any explanation. He stated that their personal belongings, including documents necessary for court proceedings and personal correspondence, were confiscated. He further indicated that they were denied access to telephone communication, outdoor exercise, and bathing facilities. Kulanin reported that the cell is infested with cockroaches, lacks functioning ventilation, and that they are not provided with essential items necessary to ensure basic hygiene. He also stated that they are not permitted to purchase hygiene products or other essential items. In a letter dated 6 March, Kulanin stated that he and Menteshashvili have been on hunger strike since their placement in solitary confinement and requested a visit from the Public Defender of Georgia. He further indicated that they are seeking clarification of the legal grounds for their placement and allege that they are being effectively isolated from both their legal representatives and the public.
The Penitentiary Service denied the reported allegations, stating that Menteshashvili and Kulanin are not held in solitary confinement but are instead placed in so-called quarantine (internal classification) cells. According to the authority, such placement was carried out in accordance with the Penitentiary Code of Georgia and the institution’s internal regulations. The Penitentiary Service also released video footage which, according to its statement, depicts the individuals consuming food and was made public for the purpose of informing the public.
Denis Kulanin has been convicted in connection with damage to a vehicle belonging to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia. He is a Russian-born activist residing in Georgia who was convicted in relation to an incident during a protest near the Parliament on 28 March 2025, and was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.Zurab Menteshashvili is held in custody under criminal law on charges of repeatedly blocking a roadway. The charges are based on legislative amendments adopted on 16 October 2025, pursuant to which the repeated blocking of a roadway or obstruction of movement during an assembly or demonstration constitutes a criminal offence.
