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Shorena Khangoshvili’s Case Ended without Court Hearing

November 29, 2011

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

The Office of Prosecutor signed a plea-bargain agreement with the former journalist from Pankisi valley Shorena (Asmat) Khangoshvili. Khangoshvili confessed her guilt in exchange for the agreement. The Office of Prosecutor accused her for purchasing, keeping and transporting big amount of drugs.

Former journalist who has been working in Roddy Scott Foundation since 2007 and taught English to children in Pankisi Valley was detained by the law-enforcement on September 16th of 2011 in Akhmeta in the territory surrounding the auto station. Shorena Khangoshvili had left from Pankisi to Akhmeta to obtain her passport. She was thinking of leaving abroad to do internship by the help of Roddy Scott Foundation.

The protest rallies were held in Pankisi Valley with the request to free the detainee. The residents of the village Duisi categorically denied that she could have any kind of connection with the crime. Some of the participants of the protest link her detention to her brother Muslim Khangoshvili who is under search. “Police hopes that after Shorena’s detention Muslim Khangoshvili will surrender,” – the protest participants assume.

Khangoshvili’s relatives state that revenge can be another reason for the detention. According to them, several years ago, a woman was killed in Pankisi. Shorena’s brother Muslim Khangoshvili who was friends with the criminal persona Shota Chichiashvili from Pankisi was accused of the murder. Chichiashvili and family of Khangoshvilis are relatives. The search on Muslim Khangoshvili was announced after Chichiashvili’s detention. The deceased lady had two children. One of them is a spouse of official of Special Operative Department. The relatives of the detainee do not exclude that Shorena’s detention might be related to this fact as a form of revenge. “People might take revenge after 20-30 years here. It does not matter if it is a woman or man,” – the residents of Duisi noted.

Despite the protest of Pankisi Valley population, Tbilisi City Court imposed preliminary arrest sentence against Shorena (Asmat) Khangoshvili. On the same night Roddy Scott Foundation disseminated special statement. The leadership of the foundation excluded that Shorena (Asmat) Khangoshvili could be the participant of drug-related crime. Roddy Scott was a young English journalist who was killed in Chechnya. The foundation on behalf of his name was founded through private donations. By the help of the Foundation 160 students learned English language and computers in Pankisi Valley for 4 years. According to the leadership of the Foundation, Shorena Khangoshvili is one of the best teachers they have.

According to official information, Shorena Khangoshvili was accused of committing crime envisaged by the paragraph A of part 2 of the article 260 of Criminal Code (purchase of big amounts of drugs, keeping, transportation, sending or selling). The crime envisages sentence of seven to fourteen years in prison.

On September 19th, Tbilisi Appellate Court replaced the compulsory measure imprisonment with 5000 GEL bail. Shorena Khangoshvili was released late at night. She did not confess the crime.

International organizations were interested in the statement of Roddy Scott Foundation and materials disseminated by the international organizations. The Ambassador of Estonia in Georgia and representatives of Council of Europe and other international organizations visited Pankisi Valley at the end of October. The diplomats met Shorena Khangoshvili personally and talked to her.

The court hearings were scheduled for November 10th. However, Shorena Khangoshvili was summoned to Tbilisi City Court for November 3rd. The Office of Prosecutor offered plea-bargain agreement before the start of the trial. According to the agreement, Shorena Khangoshvili confessed her guilt.

“Yes, I agreed. What could I do? I am a woman. I have a daughter. What else could I do?! Now I am free. I am at home and will continue to work in school as well,” – Shorena Khangoshvili noted. She was imposed conditional arrest sentence of six months and 5 thousand GEL fine. The case ended without the court hearings.

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