On April 29, 2003, a mass hunger strike broke out in Georgia’s penitentiary system. According to the Ministry of Justice, around 4,500 prisoners participated—some in solidarity with inmates they believed were unjustly imprisoned—demanding the creation of a special commission to review their cases.

Before the hunger strike, prisoners had published open letters in the press, appealing to top government and law enforcement officials. They reported numerous cases of unlawful prosecution, beatings, and torture during detention, as well as prisoners being held past their official sentences.

On May 2, the Office of the Prosecutor General established a special commission to review complaints from convicted inmates. The mass hunger strike ended on May 6, 2003, after Prosecutor General Nugzar Gabrichidze and Justice Minister Roland Giligashvili visited several penitentiary facilities. Following the visit, the prisoners said they trusted that the special commission would indeed examine their complaints.