Ramaz Tatarashvili has been appointed head of the Special Penitentiary Service of Georgia, the agency confirmed to the media. Prior to this appointment, Tatarashvili served as director of the Police Department of the Shida Kartli region.
Shortly before the appointment, it emerged that Giorgi Pataridze had stepped down as head of the Penitentiary Service. His departure followed an appeal by the Prosecutor’s Office of Georgia to the Ministry of Justice recommending the suspension of Pataridze’s official powers. The move was triggered by an ongoing investigation into the alleged prison beating of underworld figure David Peikrishvili.