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Protest in Pankisi Gorge

September 19, 2011

Gela Mtivlishvili, Information Center of Kakheti

Protest rally was held in Pankisi Gorge where people requested freedom of former journalist and acting English language teacher Shorena Khangoshvili, who was arrested for drug-dealing several days ago. About 300 people participated in the rally. They do not trust the local investigation and urge the international organizations for help.

Pupils of Shorena Khangoshvili from the local public school also participated in the protest rally. Residents of Duisi village categorically exclude the possibility of the detainee’s connection with the drug-dealing.

Some protesters connect her detention with her brother Muslim Khangoshvili who is sought by law enforcement bodies. “Police hopes Muslim Khangoshvili will yield because of Shorena’s detention,” the protesters supposed.

The relatives allege motive of Shorena Khangoshvili’s detention was revenge. According to their information, several years ago a woman was killed in Pankisi and Muslim Khangoshvili was accused of it; he was friend and relative of local criminal Shota Chachiashvili. After the latter was arrested, law enforcement bodies declared Khangoshvili wanted as well. The killed woman had two children; one of them is wife of Special Operative Department office. So, the relatives of the detainee think Shorena was detained to revenge her brother.

“In our community people revenge even 20-30 years later; regardless the gender of the rival,” said the Duisi residents.

SOD officers arrested Shorena Khangoshvili in Akhmeta on Friday and took her to Tbilisi office immediately. Her lawyer informed the relatives that neither she nor any witness was interrogated; moreover, when transporting her to Tbilisi, the officers argued about the type of narcotic substance they were going to write in the detention protocol. Khangoshvili was in Akhmeta to take her international passport.

Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia has not made comments on the detention of Shorena (Asmat) Khangoshvili yet.

Shorena Khangoshvili works for the Roddy Scott Foundation which implements educational project in the gorge. Roddy Schott was English journalist who was killed in Chechnya. His parents found the foundation in memory of Roddy in Pankisi Gorge.

Shorena Khangoshvili did not have any criminal records in the past. Her child is a pupil of the 12th grade.

Shorena Khangoshvili finished journalistic course of the Georgian Institute of Public Affairs (GIPA) and worked for various local newspapers in Kakheti region. She actively reported about the ongoing events in Pankisi Gorge.

Protest rallies with the request of Shorena Khangoshvili’s freedom will continue in the Gorge. Public and nursery schools are not going to work on September 19. Neither pupils nor teachers will go to school on Monday. At 11:00 am, on September 19 the protest rally will be renewed in the Duisi center. The parents of Roddy Scott will also arrive in Duisi to support Shorena Khangoshvili.

The article was initially published by the ICK

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