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“The Volunteer Spy” – President Saakashvili Should Take the Film Abroad With Him

September 23, 2010
Salome Achba

On September 22, the Human Rights Center (HRIDC) presented the documentary film of Giorgi Janelidze – “The Volunteer Spy” – in the Cinema House. The film about the military expert Vakhtang Maisaia, who was convicted for espionage, was prepared in the TV-studio (hridc.tv) of the Human Rights Center. The film caused great interest in the society. The hall of the cinema house was full. The representatives of the foreign embassies accredited in Georgia and international organizations, as well as colleagues of Vakhtang Maisaia - experts, human rights defenders, journalists and other interested people - attended the presentation. 

The film of Giorgi Janelidze exposes the facts from Maisaia’s case which were not known to the most part of the society yet.

Vakhtang Maisaia was arrested on May 5, 2009 on the day of the so-called Mukhrovani Mutiny. He was accused in the “espionage in the favor of a foreign country.”  This foreign country was not identified but the president Saakashvili and other governmental officials indicated at Russia in their statements. More precisely, according to the accusation, during the military operations in August of 2008, Vakhtang Maisaia systematically provided the enemy with the information about the number and location of Georgian military units.

The family members, friends and most part of the society think the accusation against the military expert is absurd. The court considered the accusation was confirmed and sent the expert to prison for 20 years.

“I think the detention of Vakhtang Maisaia is directly connected with the Mukhrovani Mutiny. By Maisaia’s detention the government tried to cover the information about the detainees for the incident in Mukhrovani military base on May 5, 2009. Maisaia is only a victim of the general politics of the government and he will be in prison until the entire Georgian society and the international community stands up against the imprisonment of the innocent person,” said military expert and head of the non-governmental organization “Justice and Freedom” Irakli Sesiashvili.

Vakhtang Maisaia was arrested in parallel to the large-scaled protest demonstrations of the opposition parties which launched in April of 2009. The relatives of the prisoner think it was one more reason for Maisaia’s detention – the government wanted to attract the public interest from the protest demonstrations and Mukhrovani Mutiny to Maisaia’s detention.

“According to the same logic based on which Maisaia was arrested, we are also spies,” said the executive director of the Human Rights Center Ucha Nanuashvili. Indeed, during the war in August of 2008, all media sources in Georgia spread completely similar public information as Maisaia spread.

The author of the “Volunteer Spy” Giorgi Janelidze said working on the film was difficult because the case was Completely Secret and they had no access to the information. However, the author collected independent information and then concluded: “Maisaia is not a spy of Russia.”

“This film is about huge falsification in what the president of Georgia and law enforcement institutions took part… this film once more convinces us that Maisaia’s case was fabricated on purpose. Our organization requests release of Vakhtang Maisaia and other political prisoners,” said Ucha Nanuashvili before the presentation.

“Vakhtang Maisaia’s case is a typical example of the problems which are accumulated in this country. After the Rose Revolution the people have been persecuted on political grounds more often. Most part of them was arrested for espionage. Although none of the cases provide the enough evidence to prove the accusation, these people are still behind bars. Maisaia’s case is also one example of this process. However, it is very important to show one example of the general tendency and politics of the government to the society,” said the representative of the non-governmental organization Former Political Prisoners for the Human Rights Nana Kakabadze.

“Creation of similar film on extreme illegality is a very important. This film will be interesting not only for the Georgian society but for foreigners too. I think, the president should inform the international society about the “democracy” in the Georgian judiciary system and it is very well demonstrated in this film. So, it will be very nice if Saakashvili will have this film with him during his visits abroad and show it to everybody. Injustice in Maisaia’s case is beyond all limits. This is cynic attitude of the government towards the society,” said political scientist Soso Tsiskarishvili after presentation.

“The Human Rights Center” was the first organization which supported us to make Vakhtang Maisaia’s case public. Initially, every organization closed their doors for us. It was the merit of the Human Rights Center and its director to attract the attention of the diplomatic corps,” said the attorney of Vakhtang Maisaia Natia Korkotadze.

It is noteworthy that short time ago, the International Secretariat of the OMCT sent special appeal to the high-ranking officials of the government of Georgia regarding the physical abuse of Vakhtang Maisaia in the prison # 8 in Gldani, Tbilisi. The appeal was sent to: the president Mikheil Saakashvili, secretary of the National Security Council Eka Tkeshelashvili, Minister of Internal Affairs Vano Merabishvili, Minister of Justice Zurab Adeishvili, chairman of the human rights parliamentary committee Giorgi Arsenishvili and Public Defender Giorgi Tughushi.  The OMCT was informed by the Human Rights Centre (HRIDC), a member of OMCT SOS Network, about the physical abuse of Mr. Vakhtang Maisaia.

You can read the full text of the appeal on the following link: http://www.humanrights.ge/index.php?a=article&id=5451&lang=en

You can see the film of Giorgi Janelidze “the Volunteer Spy” on the video-portal of the Human Rights Centre www.hridc.tv

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