Political Repressions in Samtredia

Mari Tabidze, Samtredia

On August 19, at 11:00 am Samtredia district police officers detained Sergo Kiguradze, 22. He is member of the public movement November 7. Currently, he supports Coalition Georgian Dream and is actively involved in the pre-election campaign of the Georgian Dream’s majoritarian candidate in Samtredia Kakhi Kaladze.

Sergo Kiguradze was Georgia’s champion in free style and Greek-Romanian wrestling in 2003-2008.

Kiguradze was detained in his uncle’s house in Samtredia. During the detention, police officers used force and they even beat Kiguradze’s family members.

“We were sitting on the veranda when gate opened and our yard got crowded with police officers; there were about 30 police officers. They ran up to the stars. I asked the reason of their coming but they did not say anything; grabbed my nephew and took him away. I asked them to explain to us what crime he had committed and I was ready to deliver him to the police station myself. They did not reply me, pushed us away from the stairs. My wife resisted them and police officers beat her. They pushed me under the car and were telling each other- “what are you waiting, drive over him.” The police officers acted like animals. They behaved so rudely because we have different opinion and support Georgian Dream in Samtredia. It is general situation in Georgia, and we Georgian people live in similar conditions,” Sergo Kiguradze’s uncle Shota Kiguradze told humanrights.ge

After Kiguradze’s detention, his relatives soon arrived at the police building. They protested his detention. During the protest rally, police arrested Sergo Kiguradze’s cousin Temur Kiguradze too.

On the same day, Samtredia district court sentenced Sergo and Temur Kiguradzes to 80-days administrative imprisonment each.

Jaba Jishkariani, head of Civil Fron was near police office in Samtredia. “This is law enforcement agency praised by the government. Civil society will never put up with similar situation. Death brigades deprive right to speech and freedom of expression from people in Georgia. It is fact, that police officers beat family members and we are fighting against similar police state,” Jaba Jishkariani said.

In the second half of the day, Kiguradze’s aunt Maya Akhobadze, injured by Samtredia district police officers, was taken to Kutaisi Regional Hospital.

Otolaryngologist Aleko Bibichadze said: “The woman had injuries in the jaw and face; namely her teeth were damaged in the area of chin and she requires relevant medical treatment.”

Doctors said Maia Akhobadze has brain concussion too that needs additional medical treatment. Reportedly, the victim woman needed urgent stationary treatment and she was placed in hospital.

Kakhi Kaladze evaluated detention of his election HQ members Sergo and Temur Kiguradzes as political revenge. At the briefing on August 2, Kaladze said that government has sent ten-member zonder brigade of Lado Vardzelashvili - Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs and Gia Udesiani – president of the Shooting Federation.

“Those people try to fail our meetings with people but locals oppose them. This fact proves that criminal government uses violence and repressions against Georgian Dream’s activists. It is real face of the scared government,” Kaladze said and added that “video of Kiguradzes’ detention was already delivered to the Interagency Task Force and tomorrow the video will be sent to diplomatic corps accredited in Georgia.”

Kaladze showed the video-materials to the journalists which was prepared several days before Sergo Kiguradze’s detention. It shows how Lado Vardzelashvili visited Samtredia sport hall and promised sportsmen to reconstruct the hall. Afterwards, wrestler Sergo Kiguradze said that Vardzelashvili’s promise was part of pre-election campaign. Kaladze said this statement became motive of Kiguradze’s detention. The majoritarian candidate said Vardzelashvili has become active in Samtredia for the last ten days.

“Lado Vardzelashvili stayed in Samtredia for several days to observe ongoing sport events and rehabilitation activities,” deputy minister Davit Namgalauri told Interpresnews.

“We have regional championships and ongoing infrastructural projects throughout Georgia. Including very important projects (rehabilitation of central stadium, reconstruction of two wrestling halls and equipment of football playgrounds) are being implemented in Samtredia. So, it is clear why the minister visited Samtredia for several days. We visited several other districts in the Western Georgia. So, we are not going to comment on Kaladze’s dreams. Everybody should pay attention to his campaign; Kaladze should not worry about it,” Namgalauri said.

As for Udesiani, Namgalauri said he had not visited Samtredia at all.

“I cannot understand why he should have arrived in Samtredia. It will be nice if somebody proves it by photo or video.”