Georgia: Tbilisi City Court finds discrimination against vegan prisoner

Georgia: The Tbilisi City Court established the fact of discrimination due to veganism in the case of the former prisoner and ordered the state to pay moral damages. 

The interests of the former prisoner were protected by the Association of Young Lawyers of Georgia.

The Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Social Protection and the Special Penitentiary Service were ordered to pay 5,000 GEL for moral damages.

According to SAIA, in 2019, the plaintiff was placed in the institution of the Special Penitentiary Service No. 8. 

Upon entering the prison, he informed the administration that he was a vegan (that is, eats only plant proteins, fats and carbohydrates) and asked to be provided with a special diet.

“Unlike other prisoners, there was no menu for vegans in the institution tailored to their needs. Considering this, the vegan prisoner was forced to choose only a small portion of the food offered by the administration, which was compatible with his worldview, as a result of which he did not receive enough components for human life and health ( (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins). Based on the above, the plaintiff argued that during the entire time he was in the penitentiary, he was a victim of discrimination on the grounds of being a vegan,” the organization notes.