Kvareli District Chief Police Officer Dismissed

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

After the incident in Georgian president’s vineyard in Kvareli, when journalist Shalva Ramishvili managed to enter and video-record the president’s house, head of Kvareli district police Temur Gurashvili was sacked; the President’s vineyard was fenced and gate was installed.

Davit Gigauri replaced him on the position.

On September 25, journalist Shalva Ramishvili and his companions were detained after Ramishvili finished footage in the president’s house and intended to leave the area.”Misha’s vineyard and estate does not have a gate. Nobody blocked my way… nobody asked me where I was going. Everybody was running to and fro. Police officers were hiding in the vineyard. I was asking them whose house it was but nobody replied. They were smiling shyly,” said Ramishvili.

The journalist added that when he video-recorded the president’s estate and went into the yard, police officers with Temur Gurasvili as their leader, seized video-cameras from him.

“Suddenly the chief police officer of Kvareli district appeared there; he grabbed me by arms and tried to take me out from the area; he was in civil clothes. I asked him to introduce himself but he did not reply. Nevertheless, I obeyed his orders and went outside. I stood there for a short time. Suddenly, stout men (in civil clothes) attacked me, put me into a car, seized my equipment and drove me away from the area. My freedom was restricted during 15 minutes. Finally, they realized their mistake and stopped the car. I got of the car and they rushed away. Two hours later part of my equipment was returned but they still keep my memory sticks and microphones,” said Shalva Ramishvili.

Police officers claimed that Ramishvili could not enter the vineyard and the house because it was private property and police was guarding it.

On the same day, Ramishvili tried to video-record the President’s house and vineyard but chief police officers prohibited him to move along Kvareli central road. The footage was released by Maestro-TV on September 26 and it showed that Ramishvili tried to continue his way several times but police officers resisted him.

Head of Kakheti regional department of the MIA Kakha Gigolashvili, his deputies Gocha Rostomashvili and Shota Bezhanishvili, and chief security officer of Kakheti region Ilia Zavrashvili did not allow Shalva Ramishvili to move along the road in Kvareli.

The journalist appealed to Kvareli district police regarding the incident on the same day, though the investigation has not been launched on the interference in the journalist’s professional activities yet.