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Mass Detention of Opposition Supporters in Kakheti

May 25, 2011

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

More than 20 supporters of the opposition political parties have been detained in Kakheti region. Names of 8 of them are known. The police blame them in disobedience. The court sentenced Giorgi Piralishvili and Archil Tabliashvili to three-month imprisonments. They are in the pretrial detention setting. The whereabout of several detainees is not known.

Head of Sagarejo committee of the Public Assembly Giorgi Kavelashvili was detained in Sagarejo on May 21. On the same day, the member of the Sagarejo district committee of the Public Assembly Gela Digmelashvili and chairman of the Sagarejo district office of the Conservative party Gia Gurgenishvili were detained in their houses.

At 7:00 am on May 21, supporter of the Public Assembly Giorgi Piralishvili was detained near his house in Gurjaani. His family members did not know his whereabouts all day long. Law enforcement officers drew up a protocol on administrative violation against 57-year-old Piralishvili under Article 173 of the Administrative Code of Georgia – disobedience to the lawful requirement of law enforcement officers. The Article envisages fine of 400 GEL or correctional labor from 1 to 6 months, or deduction of 20% from a monthly salary; if the abovementioned measures are considered non-compliant with case circumstances and offender’s personality, the court shall send him/her to prison for up to 90 days. Judge at the Telavi district court Gogita Totosashvili sent Piralishvili to prison for 90 days.

Member of the Telavi district committee of the Public Assembly Archil Tabliashvili was detained on may 22. The court sent him to prison for 3 months too. The police officers blame him in resistance.

Police officers detained Tariel Melkoshvili from Gujaani district committee of the PA on May 22; the official reason for his detention is not known yet.

On May 22, head of Kvareli district PA committee Otar Adomlishvili was arrested. Kvareli district police officers detained him when he was collecting supporters of the ongoing protest demonstrations in Tbilisi. According to the verified information, the detainee is in the pretrial detention setting in Kvareli. It is not known what he is accused of. The district prosecutor’s office does not comment on his detention.

On May 23, Kvareli district police officers detained member of the Georgian Party – Zurab Asabashvili, resident of Shilda village. The official reason of his detention is not known. “Zurab Asabashvili managed to inform us only about his detention by phone,” said head of the district office of the political party Malkhaz Khizanishvili.

The district police department does not comment on the detention of the supporters of the opposition parties.

Trials, where only police officers’ solicitations were discussed, lasted only 10-15 minutes.

Judge Gogita Totosashvili clarified the motive of sending Giorgi Piralishvili to 90-day-imprisonment in the judgment as follows: “The violation was confirmed by the provided materials. The court believes that Giorgi Piralishvili breached the Article 173 of the Administrative Code; more precisely, “he disobeyed the lawful requirement of the police officers who were implementing their professional activities at that moment.” The judgment does not provide information about the lawful requirements of the police officers and how the detainee disobeyed it as well as the position of the violator.

Public Defender of Georgia Giorgi Tugushi said the Article 173 of the Administrative Code of Georgia is a so-called “working article.”

Tugushi promised he would respond to the incidents occurred during the ongoing protest demonstrations in Tbilisi. He said his representatives have met demonstrators and the detainees.  The Public Defender added that human rights violations, which occurred during the recent days, will be highlighted in his 2011 report.

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