The basis for tightening Griboulou's regime was classified information

Artem Gribul, a convicted protester in Georgia, is now limited to making only three phone calls per month, and only family members are allowed to visit. The court made the decision to tighten the prison regime based on classified information, and his defense is appealing.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," Artem Gribul, a convicted protester in Georgia, has had his rights to make phone calls and receive visits restricted. The lawyer cited complaints about the prison conditions as the reason for a similar decision regarding his fiancée, Anastasia Zinovkina.

Lawyers for Russian citizens Anastasia Zinovkina and Artem Gribul, convicted in Georgia on drug possession charges, commented on the decision to tighten Artem Gribul's detention conditions.

Lawyer Shota Tutberidze said that the decision to tighten Artem's conditions will be appealed.

"Unfortunately, there are examples where appeals have failed due to political will. I fear that a similar case may occur here," he told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Lawyer Daria Samodurova said that the reasons for tightening Gribul's detention conditions are unknown. "According to the court's statement, the decision was made based on 'classified information,' so we can't even say what was discussed," she told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

While Gribul previously had an unlimited number of phone calls per month (although instead of the 30 minutes per day stipulated by law, he was only given 15), now he can only make three calls per month. "Only relatives can now attend visits. If a visit is canceled for some reason, it is converted into an opportunity to make a phone call," she noted, emphasizing that this does not apply to meetings with a lawyer.

"I am required to be allowed to see my client (during working hours, of course)," she stated.

As for Zinovkina, the decision to tighten her detention regime has already been appealed to the Tbilisi City Court. "It has been accepted for production, and we are now waiting for the hearing. The restrictions are still in effect, since, unfortunately, an appeal does not stop the effect of the act," Samodurova noted.

The lawyer also explained what "secret protocols" were discussed when Zinovkina's regime was tightened: "These are closed meetings that are classified in any cases, that is, similar meetings where the regime is tightened for prisoners, and the question is whether to add more tightening or not. Therefore, this is a closed meeting, and the information is considered classified. However, the publication of data about these protocols is not considered the dissemination of classified information," she said.

Regarding Zinovkina's health, the lawyer noted that she cannot currently get a full picture. "After we requested that she be transferred to a medical center and given full medical care—some of it, of course, not full—they provided her with medical care and conducted some tests. And they did this throughout February. I requested full documentation, but the prison hasn't sent it yet. But at the moment, her condition is more or less normal," she said.

Caucasian Knot is posting materials about the recent municipal elections and protests by opposition supporters on the thematic page "Georgia: Elections Amid Protests".